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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. snap — to click
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. stem — to come from
  8. kick — in football
  9. hand — help
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wake — a trail
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. stand — to bear
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. hand — in cards
  23. bat — the animal
  24. hand — part of the body

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