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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. can — to be able to
  3. stem — to come from
  4. fall — to drop
  5. can — a tin
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. rule — a law
  9. face — part of the head
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. squash — the sport
  12. can — a tin
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. chip — for betting
  15. fall — the season
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. face — to point toward
  18. fall — to drop
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. rule — government
  21. chip — to eat
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. face — to confront

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