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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. staff — employees
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. cold — an illness
  9. toast — bread
  10. squash — the sport
  11. cold — not warm
  12. staff — employees
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. cap — a lid
  16. squash — to crush
  17. cap — of ice
  18. stem — to come from
  19. cap — a hat
  20. staff — a stick
  21. spell — letters
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. spell — a short time
  24. hide — animal skin

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