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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: mate · fan · bark · can · race · stick · squash · tear

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. squash — to crush
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. race — the arms race
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. race — humankind
  7. bark — to shout
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. can — a tin
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. mate — a partner
  13. mate — a friend
  14. can — to be able to
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. mate — to breed
  17. can — a tin
  18. tear — to rip
  19. tear — from crying
  20. race — a contest
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. tear — from crying
  24. squash — the sport

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