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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 116 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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. bound — obliged
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bound — tied together
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. stem — to come from
  17. snap — to click
  18. bat — the animal

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