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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 120 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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. cue — a signal
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. land — to come down
  7. firm — steady
  8. land — ground
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. cue — a hint
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. firm — decided
  13. snap — to click
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. land — a country
  17. stem — to come from
  18. game — a match
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. kick — in football
  22. game — wild animals
  23. firm — a company
  24. cue — for pool

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