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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. chest — of your body
  3. rock — a stone
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. chest — of your body
  6. fall — the season
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. chest — a box
  9. charge — a price
  10. current — happening now
  11. charge — in control
  12. fall — to drop
  13. object — to protest
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. current — electric
  16. snap — to click
  17. object — a thing
  18. current — of water
  19. rock — music
  20. fall — to drop
  21. object — an aim
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. charge — electricity
  24. stem — to come from

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