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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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. pound — a weight
  4. bear — the animal
  5. squash — the sport
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. tear — to rip
  9. content — the amount
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. tear — from crying
  12. key — the most important part
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. tear — from crying
  15. content — happy
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. wake — a trail
  19. bear — the animal
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. key — for a lock
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. key — in music
  24. pound — to hit hard

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