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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: squash · object · last · shower · rush · tear · can · track

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. squash — the sport
  4. can — to be able to
  5. squash — to crush
  6. rush — hurry
  7. track — a song
  8. can — a tin
  9. tear — to rip
  10. shower — rain
  11. last — finally
  12. last — final
  13. object — a thing
  14. can — a tin
  15. last — to go on
  16. shower — to wash
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. tear — from crying
  19. track — a path
  20. tear — from crying
  21. object — an aim
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. object — to protest
  24. track — to keep track

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