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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. can — to be able to
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. cap — a hat
  6. band — a music group
  7. cell — a phone
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. can — a tin
  10. squash — the sport
  11. can — a tin
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cap — a lid
  14. cell — in biology
  15. lean — thin
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. band — a ring
  18. ground — the earth
  19. ground — a position
  20. lean — to bend
  21. stem — to come from
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. squash — to crush
  24. ground — crushed

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