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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tear · squash · deal · straw · bay · wave

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. tear — to rip
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. tear — from crying
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. deal — to handle
  11. squash — to crush
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. squash — the sport
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. tear — from crying
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. bay — a part of the sea

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