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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: squash · tear · dip · object · racket · roll · wind · track

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. squash — the sport
  3. tear — from crying
  4. track — a song
  5. roll — a list
  6. object — a thing
  7. track — to keep track
  8. wind — moving air
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. track — a path
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. dip — to sink
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. tear — from crying
  17. roll — a cake
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. object — to protest
  21. object — an aim
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. squash — to crush
  24. squash — the vegetable

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