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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. stem — to come from
  3. suit — clothes
  4. mate — a friend
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. suit — in cards
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. bulb — for light
  9. squash — to crush
  10. mate — to breed
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. mate — a partner
  13. craft — boats
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. dip — to sink
  17. suit — to fit
  18. bulb — for light
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. wake — a trail
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. craft — a skill
  24. dip — a sauce

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