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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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. lie — to recline
  3. court — of a king
  4. snap — to click
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bark — to shout
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. rock — a stone
  14. tube — the underground
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. rock — music
  18. tube — a container
  19. stem — to come from
  20. court — for sport
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. court — of law

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