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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 120 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: hide · bear · pop · dip · squash · rest · file · deal

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. pop — to visit
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. pop — soda
  8. squash — to crush
  9. rest — what's left
  10. file — a line of people
  11. squash — the sport
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. dip — to sink
  14. rest — what's left
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. rest — a break
  18. file — a document
  19. file — a tool
  20. bear — the animal
  21. pop — music
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. deal — to handle
  24. hide — animal skin

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