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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. squash — the sport
  4. sharp — clever
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. key — the most important part
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. squash — to crush
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. mark — a trace
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. mug — a cup
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. stem — to come from
  16. key — for a lock
  17. mug — to rob
  18. mug — a face
  19. key — in music
  20. rush — hurry
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. mark — a grade
  24. deal — to handle

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