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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 120 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: firm · rash · leaves · ball · tear · squash · mouse · land

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. ball — a dance
  3. tear — from crying
  4. squash — the sport
  5. rash — hasty
  6. rash — a series
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. land — to come down
  9. firm — a company
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. ball — a great time
  13. firm — steady
  14. firm — decided
  15. tear — to rip
  16. land — ground
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. squash — to crush
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. tear — from crying
  24. land — a country

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