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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. squash — to crush
  4. squash — the sport
  5. stem — to come from
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. capital — money
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. chip — to eat
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. chip — for betting
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. capital — a city
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. last — finally
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. last — final
  24. mouse — for a computer

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