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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 120 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: coach · mouse · mug · shower · stem · squash · sharp · mate

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. stem — to come from
  3. mug — a cup
  4. mate — a friend
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. mate — a partner
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. shower — rain
  14. shower — to wash
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. squash — the sport
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. sharp — clever
  23. mug — a face
  24. mate — to breed

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