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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. firm — decided
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. tear — to rip
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. firm — steady
  9. sharp — clever
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. tear — from crying
  13. tear — from crying
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. firm — a company
  16. squash — to crush
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. kick — in football
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pass — a permit
  22. stem — to come from
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. sharp — with an edge

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