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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. stem — to come from
  4. rash — hasty
  5. object — a thing
  6. squash — to crush
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. present — there
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. object — an aim
  11. stand — to bear
  12. object — to protest
  13. present — a gift
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. deal — to handle
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. wound — an injury
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. wound — an injury
  22. present — the time now
  23. squash — the sport
  24. rash — a series

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