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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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468
Word bank
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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. bulb — for light
  5. pit — a hole
  6. rest — what's left
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. pit — in a race
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rush — hurry
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. deal — to handle
  16. snap — to click
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. rest — a break
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. stem — to come from
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. pound — a weight
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. bulb — for light

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