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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: last · object · pop · season · squash · wake · tear · fine

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. squash — to crush
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. wake — a trail
  5. pop — soda
  6. squash — the sport
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. pop — to visit
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. tear — from crying
  12. last — final
  13. season — in sport
  14. object — an aim
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. fine — high quality
  17. fine — all right
  18. tear — to rip
  19. object — a thing
  20. season — of the year
  21. last — to go on
  22. last — finally
  23. pop — music
  24. object — to protest

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