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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. stem — to come from
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. can — a tin
  6. band — a music group
  7. can — a tin
  8. bulb — for light
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. snap — to click
  11. mate — to breed
  12. band — a ring
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. vault — a safe
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. can — to be able to
  21. bulb — for light
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. mate — a partner
  24. band — a rubber band

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