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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. stem — to come from
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. squash — the sport
  5. bank — for money
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. cap — a hat
  10. cap — of ice
  11. rest — a break
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. capital — a city
  14. cap — a lid
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. bank — for money
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bank — of a river
  19. capital — money
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. snap — to click
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — what's left

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