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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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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. stem — to come from
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. squash — to crush
  11. kick — in football
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. prune — to trim
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. squash — the sport
  22. wound — an injury
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. wound — an injury

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