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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. kid — to tease
  4. lie — to recline
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. squash — to crush
  13. branch — a division
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. stem — to come from
  19. fine — high quality
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. kid — child
  24. fine — all right

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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