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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. squash — to crush
  3. rock — a stone
  4. staff — employees
  5. chip — to eat
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. rule — a law
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. pit — in a race
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. pit — a hole
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. tear — from crying
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. tear — from crying
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. staff — a stick
  19. staff — employees
  20. rock — music
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. squash — the sport
  23. chip — for betting
  24. rule — government

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com