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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.

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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. squash — the sport
  6. current — of water
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. stem — to come from
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. chip — for betting
  11. march — the month
  12. current — electric
  13. chip — to eat
  14. current — happening now
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. march — the month
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. march — music
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. chip — in a computer

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