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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. squash — the sport
  4. cell — a phone
  5. stem — to come from
  6. root — the cause
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. root — of a word
  9. tube — the underground
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. chair — a leader
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. root — of a plant
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. tube — a container
  24. cell — in biology

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