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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. drill — the tool
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. ground — the earth
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. drill — a practice
  9. chip — for betting
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — for money
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. stem — to come from
  15. squash — the sport
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bank — of a river
  18. saw — the tool
  19. chip — to eat
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. squash — to crush
  23. drill — army training
  24. ground — a position

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