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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bat · saw · stem · squash · rock · ball · lie · toast

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. squash — the sport
  4. saw — the tool
  5. stem — to come from
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. rock — a stone
  10. ball — a dance
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. bat — the animal
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. ball — a great time
  16. lie — to recline
  17. toast — bread
  18. rock — music
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. saw — the tool
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. lie — an untruth

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