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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. squash — to crush
  3. track — a path
  4. spring — the season
  5. lean — thin
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. track — to keep track
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. spring — of water
  11. spring — a coil
  12. squash — the sport
  13. suit — to fit
  14. suit — clothes
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. suit — in cards
  17. stem — to come from
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. track — a song
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. can — a tin
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lie — to recline
  24. can — a tin

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