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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. snap — to click
  5. fall — to drop
  6. court — for sport
  7. fall — to drop
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. stem — to come from
  10. rock — music
  11. rush — hurry
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. ground — a position
  15. ground — crushed
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. wake — a trail
  18. ground — the earth
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. fall — the season
  21. court — of a king
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. court — of law

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