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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. squash — the sport
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. sharp — clever
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. lean — to bend
  8. rest — what's left
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. stem — to come from
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. rest — what's left
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. game — a match
  17. game — wild animals
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. lean — thin
  22. squash — to crush
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. game — a kind of play

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