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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. suit — to fit
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. stem — to come from
  6. spell — a short time
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. deal — to handle
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. spell — letters
  15. suit — clothes
  16. file — a tool
  17. spell — magic
  18. kick — in football
  19. file — a line of people
  20. snap — to click
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. file — a document
  23. suit — in cards
  24. deal — an agreement

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