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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  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. snap — to speak sharply
  3. pop — to visit
  4. charge — in control
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. firm — decided
  7. ball — a dance
  8. charge — electricity
  9. ball — a great time
  10. snap — to click
  11. bulb — for light
  12. firm — steady
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. pop — music
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. charge — a price
  19. cell — a phone
  20. pop — soda
  21. firm — a company
  22. cell — in biology
  23. stem — of a plant
  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