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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stem · pound · shower · squash · lean · content · staff · cue

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. cue — a signal
  5. stem — to come from
  6. content — the amount
  7. staff — employees
  8. squash — the sport
  9. lean — to bend
  10. cue — for pool
  11. staff — a stick
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. staff — employees
  14. shower — rain
  15. content — happy
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. pound — a weight
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. shower — to wash
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. cue — a hint
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. lean — thin
  24. stem — a stem cell

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