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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. march — music
  3. scale — size or range
  4. pass — a permit
  5. snap — to click
  6. object — an aim
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. object — to protest
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. hand — in cards
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. object — a thing
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pit — in a race
  19. march — the month
  20. march — the month
  21. scale — in music
  22. pit — a hole
  23. hand — help
  24. stem — to come from

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