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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 116 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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. rash — a series
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. prune — to trim
  5. can — a tin
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. squash — to crush
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. track — to keep track
  11. prune — to trim
  12. track — a song
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. rash — hasty
  15. chip — for betting
  16. tear — from crying
  17. tear — to rip
  18. squash — the sport
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. chip — to eat
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — to be able to
  23. tear — from crying
  24. chip — in a computer

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