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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 116 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: squash · kick · track · lean · object · tear · pass · wind

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. wind — moving air
  3. tear — from crying
  4. track — a song
  5. object — to protest
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. kick — in football
  8. track — a path
  9. squash — the sport
  10. lean — thin
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. pass — a permit
  14. squash — to crush
  15. object — a thing
  16. wind — moving air
  17. track — to keep track
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. object — an aim
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. tear — from crying
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. lean — to bend

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