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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: tear · calf · bank · squash · saw · suit · chair · can

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. tear — from crying
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. squash — to crush
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. can — a tin
  7. saw — the tool
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. chair — a leader
  10. bank — of a river
  11. suit — to fit
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. bank — for money
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bank — for money
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. tear — from crying
  18. suit — clothes
  19. suit — in cards
  20. tear — to rip
  21. can — to be able to
  22. squash — the sport
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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