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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. staff — a stick
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. staff — employees
  5. season — in sport
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. squash — the sport
  8. rule — government
  9. stem — to come from
  10. mark — a trace
  11. season — of the year
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. row — a line
  14. dip — to sink
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. row — to paddle
  17. rule — a law
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. squash — to crush
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. staff — employees
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. mark — a grade

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