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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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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. suit — to fit
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. kick — in football
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. snap — to click
  12. suit — clothes
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. perch — the fish
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. suit — in cards
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. chair — a leader
  24. 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