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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. game — wild animals
  4. can — a tin
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. can — to be able to
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. present — a gift
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. stem — to come from
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. present — there
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. game — a match
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. can — a tin
  22. present — the time now
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. snap — to click

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