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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 124 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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. rest — what's left
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. dip — to sink
  13. bass — the fish
  14. rest — a break
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. present — there
  17. bass — low music
  18. date — the fruit
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. snap — to click
  22. rest — what's left
  23. stem — to come from
  24. present — a gift

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