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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: tear · squash · deal · straw · bay · wave · nail · fall

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. tear — from crying
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. tear — to rip
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. squash — to crush
  15. fall — the season
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. squash — the sport
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. fall — to drop
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. tear — from crying
  22. fall — to drop
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. wave — with your hand

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