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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 116 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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. spring — the season
  5. pop — music
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — to recline
  8. pass — a permit
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. stem — to come from
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. kick — in football
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. spring — a coil
  17. pop — soda
  18. squash — the sport
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. pop — to visit
  22. spring — of water
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. ruler — for measuring

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