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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. suit — to fit
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. fall — the season
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. snap — to click
  7. branch — a division
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. suit — clothes
  10. fall — to drop
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stem — to come from
  18. fall — to drop
  19. rock — a stone
  20. season — of the year
  21. season — in sport
  22. rock — music
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. branch — of a bank

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