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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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. content — videos and posts
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. content — the amount
  5. snap — to click
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. chest — of your body
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. march — music
  10. fork — in a road
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. march — the month
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. content — happy
  16. march — the month
  17. vault — a safe
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. stem — to come from
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. chest — a box
  23. chest — of your body
  24. mouse — for a computer

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