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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — what's left
  5. stem — to come from
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. last — finally
  8. squash — the sport
  9. dip — to sink
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. pop — soda
  12. last — final
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. last — to go on
  15. pop — to visit
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. branch — a division
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. rest — a break
  21. squash — to crush
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. pop — music

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