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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 120 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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. cell — in biology
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. pass — a permit
  5. scale — size or range
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. stem — to come from
  14. key — in music
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. scale — in music
  17. key — the most important part
  18. cell — a phone
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. key — for a lock
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. squash — the sport

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