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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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. mate — a partner
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. foot — a measure
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. kick — in football
  8. stem — to come from
  9. mate — to breed
  10. march — the month
  11. deal — to handle
  12. march — music
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. mate — a friend
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. snap — to click
  20. march — the month
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. foot — 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