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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. march — music
  4. march — the month
  5. rest — what's left
  6. present — the time now
  7. clip — to cut
  8. staff — a stick
  9. rest — what's left
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. staff — employees
  13. present — a gift
  14. march — the month
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. stem — to come from
  17. rest — a break
  18. clip — for paper
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. present — there
  21. clip — a video
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. squash — the sport
  24. staff — employees

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