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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — the animal
  4. last — to go on
  5. lean — to bend
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. march — music
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. lean — thin
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. march — the month
  12. stem — to come from
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. key — the most important part
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. march — the month
  17. last — finally
  18. key — for a lock
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rush — hurry
  22. snap — to click
  23. last — final
  24. rush — to hurry

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