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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. stem — to come from
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. foot — a measure
  9. snap — to click
  10. rule — a law
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. bay — a horse colour

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