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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bank — for money
  4. squash — the sport
  5. rock — music
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. degree — from a university
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. bank — for money
  11. degree — temperature
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. rock — a stone
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. tear — to rip
  17. pit — in a race
  18. tear — from crying
  19. pit — a hole
  20. degree — an amount
  21. tear — from crying
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. snap — to click
  24. hide — to keep secret

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