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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. swing — to play on
  3. saw — the tool
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. lean — to bend
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. lean — thin
  10. mate — a friend
  11. swing — in golf
  12. squash — to crush
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. prune — to trim
  15. fork — in a road
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. mate — a partner
  18. saw — the tool
  19. prune — to trim
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. mate — to breed
  22. squash — the sport
  23. stem — to come from
  24. swing — music

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