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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: deal · tear · season · bowl · staff · wave · row · squash

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. row — a line
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. season — of the year
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. staff — a stick
  9. squash — to crush
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. staff — employees
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. season — in sport
  16. deal — to handle
  17. squash — the sport
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. row — to paddle
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. tear — from crying
  23. tear — from crying
  24. staff — employees

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