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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. lean — to bend
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. stem — to come from
  7. snap — to click
  8. suit — to fit
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lean — thin
  13. suit — clothes
  14. lie — to recline
  15. suit — in cards
  16. wake — a trail
  17. rule — a law
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. stem — of a plant

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