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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. squash — to crush
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. drill — the tool
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. current — electric
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. drill — a practice
  10. current — of water
  11. drill — army training
  12. spring — of water
  13. season — in sport
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. spring — the season
  16. current — happening now
  17. spring — a coil
  18. season — of the year
  19. suit — in cards
  20. suit — to fit
  21. stem — to come from
  22. squash — the sport
  23. chair — a leader
  24. suit — clothes

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