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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stem — to come from
  4. cap — of ice
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. key — the most important part
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. snap — to click
  9. stand — to bear
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. rush — hurry
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. wound — an injury
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. key — for a lock
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. wound — an injury
  21. cap — a hat
  22. cap — a lid
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. key — in music

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