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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 124 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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. squash — to crush
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. clip — to cut
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. tear — from crying
  9. present — a gift
  10. tear — from crying
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. present — the time now
  13. clip — for paper
  14. club — for golf
  15. staff — a stick
  16. clip — a video
  17. club — for dancing
  18. present — there
  19. staff — employees
  20. club — a group
  21. squash — the sport
  22. staff — employees
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. rush — hurry

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