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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. chip — for betting
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. wound — an injury
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. squash — the sport
  11. bulb — for light
  12. sharp — clever
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. wound — an injury
  16. stem — to come from
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. bulb — for light
  20. mark — a trace
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mark — a grade
  23. chip — to eat
  24. squash — the vegetable

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