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

Word bank: tear · bear · rash · deal · jam · rule

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. bear — the animal
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rash — a series
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. rule — a law
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. tear — from crying
  11. rash — hasty
  12. rule — government
  13. deal — to handle
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. tear — to rip
  18. bear — the animal

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