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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. wound — an injury
  3. chip — for betting
  4. cue — for pool
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. can — to be able to
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. tear — to rip
  9. tear — from crying
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. squash — the sport
  14. cue — a signal
  15. can — a tin
  16. wound — an injury
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. can — a tin
  19. chip — to eat
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. cue — a hint
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. squash — to crush
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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