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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. game — wild animals
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. clip — for paper
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. squash — to crush
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. clip — to cut
  9. roll — a cake
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. squash — the sport
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. dip — to sink
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. game — a match
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. clip — a video
  23. roll — a list
  24. stem — to come from

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