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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: mate · foot · bank · squash · tear · rest · key · present

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. rest — what's left
  3. squash — the sport
  4. present — there
  5. mate — a partner
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. mate — to breed
  8. foot — a measure
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. key — for a lock
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. bank — for money
  13. tear — from crying
  14. squash — to crush
  15. bank — for money
  16. present — the time now
  17. key — in music
  18. rest — what's left
  19. mate — a friend
  20. rest — a break
  21. key — the most important part
  22. tear — to rip
  23. present — a gift
  24. bank — of a river

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