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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. craft — a skill
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. stem — to come from
  6. craft — boats
  7. pit — a hole
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. snap — to click
  11. rush — hurry
  12. fine — all right
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. pit — in a race
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. pass — a permit
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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