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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. rest — what's left
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. snap — to click
  5. chest — a box
  6. rule — government
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. chest — of your body
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. rest — a break
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. chest — of your body
  15. rule — a law
  16. rest — what's left
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. stem — to come from

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