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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. lie — to recline
  7. squash — the sport
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. club — for dancing
  10. content — happy
  11. club — for golf
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. content — the amount
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. spring — a coil
  16. spring — of water
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. spring — the season
  20. stem — to come from
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. club — a group
  24. bowl — a football final

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