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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: bowl · tear · can · saw · hand · squash · deal · rush

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. hand — in cards
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — a tin
  7. tear — from crying
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. squash — the sport
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. rush — hurry
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. tear — from crying
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. saw — the tool
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. tear — to rip
  21. squash — to crush
  22. deal — to handle
  23. can — to be able to
  24. hand — help

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