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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 116 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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. spell — a short time
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. squash — the sport
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. kick — in football
  8. pitch — completely
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. face — to point toward
  12. spell — letters
  13. face — part of the head
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. spell — magic
  17. squash — to crush
  18. can — a tin
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. stem — to come from
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — to be able to
  24. stem — of a plant

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