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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: lean · squash · deal · mug · degree · date · rest · bear

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. bear — the animal
  3. rest — what's left
  4. lean — to bend
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. rest — what's left
  7. lean — thin
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. degree — an amount
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. date — the fruit
  12. degree — from a university
  13. degree — temperature
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. mug — a face
  18. rest — a break
  19. mug — a cup
  20. squash — the sport
  21. mug — to rob
  22. bear — the animal
  23. squash — to crush
  24. deal — an agreement

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