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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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. rush — to hurry
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. staff — employees
  6. squash — the sport
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. charge — electricity
  9. staff — employees
  10. squash — to crush
  11. rush — hurry
  12. chest — a box
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. craft — a skill
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chest — of your body
  18. charge — in control
  19. craft — boats
  20. pound — a weight
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. staff — a stick
  23. charge — a price
  24. pound — for dogs

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