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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 124 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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. face — part of the head
  4. rest — a break
  5. drill — the tool
  6. squash — to crush
  7. drill — army training
  8. object — a thing
  9. face — to confront
  10. stem — to come from
  11. can — a tin
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. drill — a practice
  15. band — a music group
  16. object — an aim
  17. can — a tin
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. rest — what's left
  20. object — to protest
  21. face — to point toward
  22. band — a ring
  23. can — to be able to
  24. rest — what's left

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