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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: tear · content · mug · saw · prune · bear · pass · squash

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. bear — the animal
  3. tear — from crying
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. mug — a face
  7. squash — to crush
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. saw — the tool
  13. mug — a cup
  14. mug — to rob
  15. bear — the animal
  16. squash — the sport
  17. tear — from crying
  18. prune — to trim
  19. tear — to rip
  20. content — the amount
  21. content — happy
  22. pass — a permit
  23. prune — to trim
  24. saw — the tool

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