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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. tear — to rip
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. sharp — clever
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. root — the cause
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. squash — to crush
  13. saw — the tool
  14. squash — the sport
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. tear — from crying
  20. pass — a permit
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. root — of a word
  23. root — of a plant
  24. tear — from crying

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