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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. stem — to come from
  3. squash — to crush
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. hand — in cards
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. toast — bread
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. rash — hasty
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. rash — a series
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. squash — the sport
  22. fork — in a road
  23. hand — help
  24. toast — the most admired

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