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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 116 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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. squash — to crush
  5. capital — money
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. saw — the tool
  9. capital — a city
  10. rash — a series
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. saw — the tool
  20. mine — for digging
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. rash — hasty
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. squash — the sport

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