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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. row — to paddle
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spell — magic
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. pit — a hole
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. row — a line
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. squash — the sport
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. pit — in a race
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. stem — to come from
  24. spell — letters

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