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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. track — a song
  3. track — to keep track
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. can — to be able to
  7. bank — of a river
  8. craft — a skill
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. craft — boats
  11. track — a path
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. stem — to come from
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bank — for money
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — a tin
  19. bat — the animal
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. squash — the sport
  22. bank — for money
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. craft — a handicraft

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