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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. vault — a safe
  11. bulb — for light
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. branch — a division
  14. squash — the sport
  15. snap — to click
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. stem — to come from
  19. tube — the underground
  20. bulb — for light
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. tube — a container
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. bulb — of a plant

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