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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: ground · squash · scale · sharp · season · hide · stem · bank

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. bank — for money
  4. squash — the sport
  5. bank — for money
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. ground — crushed
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. stem — to come from
  12. season — of the year
  13. ground — a position
  14. scale — in music
  15. ground — the earth
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. scale — size or range
  19. bank — of a river
  20. squash — to crush
  21. season — in sport
  22. sharp — clever
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. squash — the vegetable

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