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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: rash · stem · rock · kick · land · jam · squash · snap

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. land — to come down
  4. land — ground
  5. rash — a series
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. squash — to crush
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. stem — to come from
  11. land — a country
  12. rock — a stone
  13. squash — the sport
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. rock — music
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. snap — to click
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. kick — in football
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. rash — hasty

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