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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. squash — the sport
  3. spring — of water
  4. spell — magic
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. lean — thin
  7. stem — to come from
  8. pit — in a race
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — what's left
  11. pit — a hole
  12. suit — to fit
  13. suit — clothes
  14. suit — in cards
  15. squash — to crush
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. lean — to bend
  18. spell — a short time
  19. spring — the season
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. rest — a break
  23. spring — a coil
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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