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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. present — there
  8. present — the time now
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. can — to be able to
  11. snap — to click
  12. can — a tin
  13. kick — in football
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. root — of a plant
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. rush — hurry
  18. root — of a word
  19. root — the cause
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. present — a gift
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. can — a tin
  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