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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  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. pound — a weight
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. lean — to bend
  4. spring — a coil
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. spring — the season
  7. stem — to come from
  8. cap — a hat
  9. charge — a price
  10. mark — a grade
  11. cap — of ice
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. charge — in control
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. squash — to crush
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. charge — electricity
  20. cap — a lid
  21. mark — a trace
  22. lean — thin
  23. spring — of water
  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