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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. squash — to crush
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. cell — a phone
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. cell — in biology
  11. squash — the sport
  12. rash — a series
  13. stem — to come from
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. branch — a division
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rash — hasty
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. plane — a tool
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. branch — of a bank

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