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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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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: fan · hand · mouse · firm · wake · bear · tear · squash

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. firm — a company
  4. tear — from crying
  5. wake — a trail
  6. firm — steady
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. tear — to rip
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. firm — decided
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. squash — to crush
  19. squash — the sport
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. hand — help
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. hand — in cards

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