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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. pit — a hole
  3. can — a tin
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. pitch — completely
  6. snap — to click
  7. pit — in a race
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. season — in sport
  14. lean — to bend
  15. stem — to come from
  16. can — to be able to
  17. can — a tin
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. lean — thin
  22. kick — in football
  23. season — of the year
  24. pitch — a sports field

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