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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. snap — to click
  4. ball — a great time
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. cue — a signal
  7. ground — the earth
  8. ground — crushed
  9. ball — a dance
  10. ground — a position
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. cue — a hint
  13. cue — for pool
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mark — a grade
  16. stem — to come from
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. club — for dancing
  19. club — for golf
  20. club — a group
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. stem — a stem cell

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