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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. fall — to drop
  4. mug — a face
  5. pit — a hole
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. squash — to crush
  8. kick — in football
  9. stem — to come from
  10. squash — the sport
  11. pit — in a race
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. fall — the season
  17. sharp — clever
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. ball — a great time
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. mug — to rob
  22. fall — to drop
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. ball — a dance

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