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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. mug — a cup
  3. bound — obliged
  4. stem — to come from
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. rash — hasty
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. rash — a series
  9. mug — to rob
  10. bound — certain
  11. pound — a weight
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. mug — a face
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. tube — a container
  19. tube — the underground
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. squash — the sport
  22. bound — tied together
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. rash — on the 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