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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. craft — a skill
  3. squash — to crush
  4. bear — the animal
  5. mark — a trace
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. wound — an injury
  10. mark — a grade
  11. squash — the sport
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. stem — to come from
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. bear — the animal
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. wound — an injury
  23. craft — boats
  24. wave — of the sea

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