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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. can — a tin
  4. face — to confront
  5. present — there
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. lean — to bend
  9. present — the time now
  10. present — a gift
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. face — to point toward
  13. spell — a short time
  14. face — part of the head
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. squash — to crush
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. can — to be able to
  19. lean — thin
  20. squash — the sport
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. spell — magic
  23. spell — letters
  24. stem — to come from

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