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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  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 — to crush
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. spell — magic
  5. capital — money
  6. march — music
  7. spell — letters
  8. squash — the sport
  9. march — the month
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. stem — to come from
  14. capital — a city
  15. rest — what's left
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. march — the month
  18. rest — what's left
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. rest — a break
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. spell — a short time
  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