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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. stem — to come from
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. cue — a signal
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. suit — in cards
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. cue — for pool
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. cue — a hint
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. suit — clothes
  18. snap — to click
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — the season
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. suit — to fit
  24. sharp — clever

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