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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 120 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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. rock — music
  3. squash — the sport
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. wind — moving air
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. squash — to crush
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. rule — government
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. stem — to come from
  19. rule — a law
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. wind — moving air
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. hide — to keep secret

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