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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 · can · arm · squash · cabinet · saw · date · ground

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. squash — to crush
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. ground — a position
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. can — a tin
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. ground — crushed
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. ground — the earth
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. date — the fruit
  18. saw — the tool
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. can — a tin
  21. saw — the tool
  22. stem — to come from
  23. squash — the sport
  24. can — to be able 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