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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. stem — to come from
  3. spell — magic
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. spell — a short time
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. net — after costs
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. kick — in football
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. spell — letters
  12. pass — a permit
  13. saw — the tool
  14. net — in sport
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. net — for catching
  19. squash — the sport
  20. saw — the tool
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. board — to get on
  23. board — a committee
  24. squash — the vegetable

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