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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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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: bear · kick · deal · stem · squash · stick · file · rule

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. stem — to come from
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. squash — to crush
  5. rule — government
  6. bear — the animal
  7. file — a tool
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. squash — the sport
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. rule — a law
  13. kick — in football
  14. file — a line of people
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. file — a document
  17. deal — to handle
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. bear — the animal
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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