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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. snap — to click
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. key — in music
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. row — to paddle
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. face — to point toward
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. stem — to come from
  12. charge — electricity
  13. pit — in a race
  14. charge — a price
  15. deal — to handle
  16. face — part of the head
  17. face — to confront
  18. row — a line
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. key — the most important part
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. charge — in control
  23. key — for a lock
  24. stem — a stem cell

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