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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: tear · cue · bear · mate · deal · can · kick · rash

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. bear — the animal
  3. mate — a partner
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. tear — from crying
  6. kick — in football
  7. can — a tin
  8. deal — to handle
  9. mate — a friend
  10. cue — for pool
  11. rash — hasty
  12. tear — to rip
  13. can — to be able to
  14. bear — the animal
  15. mate — to breed
  16. cue — a hint
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. tear — from crying
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. rash — a series
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. cue — a signal
  24. can — a tin

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