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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. chip — for betting
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. face — to confront
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. squash — the sport
  12. prune — to trim
  13. shower — rain
  14. stem — to come from
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. face — to point toward
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. shower — to wash
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. chip — to eat
  24. face — part of the head

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