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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: can · squash · nail · stem · ground · bulb · date · lean

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lean — thin
  4. ground — crushed
  5. date — the fruit
  6. squash — to crush
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. ground — the earth
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — a tin
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. can — to be able to
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. lean — to bend
  18. ground — a position
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. bulb — for light
  23. squash — the sport
  24. bulb — of a plant

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