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

Word bank: bear · lash · suit · bowl · cold · bore · tear · squash

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. suit — to fit
  6. tear — to rip
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. suit — clothes
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. suit — in cards
  13. cold — an illness
  14. squash — to crush
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. tear — from crying
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. squash — the sport
  20. bore — to drill
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. cold — not warm

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