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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. tear — to rip
  3. board — to get on
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cue — a hint
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. rest — what's left
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. tear — from crying
  10. rest — a break
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. firm — a company
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. rest — what's left
  16. squash — to crush
  17. stem — to come from
  18. board — a committee
  19. cue — a signal
  20. squash — the sport
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. tear — from crying
  23. firm — decided
  24. firm — steady

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