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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. face — to confront
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. face — part of the head
  8. ball — a dance
  9. toast — bread
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. face — to point toward
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. squash — the sport
  14. rock — a stone
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. rock — music
  17. stem — to come from
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. wake — a trail
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. ball — a great time
  24. calf — a young animal

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