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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. net — in sport
  3. cue — for pool
  4. squash — to crush
  5. squash — the sport
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. cue — a signal
  8. tear — from crying
  9. rash — a series
  10. net — for catching
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. rash — hasty
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. prune — to trim
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. cue — a hint
  19. net — after costs
  20. tear — from crying
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. prune — to trim

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