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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. squash — to crush
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. swing — music
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. kick — in football
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. stem — to come from
  14. squash — the sport
  15. swing — to play on
  16. sharp — clever
  17. swing — in golf
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. ruler — a monarch

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