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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 116 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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. bound — obliged
  4. cue — a signal
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. cue — for pool
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. wax — to grow
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. lie — to recline
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. bound — tied together
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. bound — certain
  17. cue — a hint
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. snap — to click
  20. pitch — completely
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. stem — of a plant

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