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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  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. squash — the vegetable
  2. stem — to come from
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. spell — a short time
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. squash — to crush
  12. bound — certain
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bound — obliged
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. bound — tied together
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. spell — letters
  19. deal — to handle
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. spell — magic
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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