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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. pop — music
  4. snap — to click
  5. pop — soda
  6. club — a group
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. land — to come down
  12. kick — in football
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. land — ground
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. land — a country
  18. club — for golf
  19. club — for dancing
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. pop — to visit
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. stem — to come from
  24. deal — to handle

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