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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. stem — to come from
  4. bat — the animal
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. snap — to click
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. current — of water
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. current — electric
  12. bulb — for light
  13. key — the most important part
  14. pop — music
  15. wake — a trail
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. key — in music
  21. current — happening now
  22. key — for a lock
  23. pop — soda
  24. pop — to visit

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