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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 120 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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. rock — a stone
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. fall — to drop
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. stem — to come from
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. season — in sport
  11. scale — size or range
  12. current — happening now
  13. season — of the year
  14. fall — to drop
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. scale — in music
  17. current — of water
  18. squash — to crush
  19. fall — the season
  20. squash — the sport
  21. rock — music
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. current — electric
  24. scale — for weighing

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