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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: chest · mark · object · arm · rule · rock · squash · tear

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. mark — a trace
  3. tear — to rip
  4. tear — from crying
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. rule — government
  8. squash — to crush
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. chest — of your body
  13. rock — music
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. tear — from crying
  16. rule — a law
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. mark — a grade
  19. chest — of your body
  20. squash — the sport
  21. rock — a stone
  22. object — to protest
  23. object — an aim
  24. chest — a box

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