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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. band — a ring
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. tear — from crying
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. band — a music group
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. stem — to come from
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. mug — a face
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. mug — a cup
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. tear — to rip
  19. squash — the sport
  20. squash — to crush
  21. mug — to rob
  22. tear — from crying
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. stem — a stem cell

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