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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: suit · rest · pound · rock · squash · tear · current · date

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. tear — from crying
  3. pound — a weight
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. current — of water
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. squash — to crush
  9. current — electric
  10. suit — to fit
  11. squash — the sport
  12. current — happening now
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rock — music
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. tear — from crying
  19. rest — a break
  20. suit — clothes
  21. tear — to rip
  22. rest — what's left
  23. date — the fruit
  24. suit — in cards

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