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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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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: dip · fan · squash · deal · rest · object · wake · tear

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. rest — a break
  4. object — a thing
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. tear — from crying
  7. wake — a trail
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. rest — what's left
  11. object — an aim
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. squash — the sport
  14. rest — what's left
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. deal — to handle
  18. tear — from crying
  19. squash — to crush
  20. dip — to sink
  21. object — to protest
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. dip — to dunk

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