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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. firm — a company
  4. mark — a grade
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. mark — a trace
  8. firm — steady
  9. stem — to come from
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. foot — a measure
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. perch — the fish
  16. row — a line
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. branch — a division
  22. row — to paddle
  23. firm — decided
  24. branch — of a tree

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