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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. wind — moving air
  8. can — a tin
  9. pass — a permit
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mate — a friend
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. can — to be able to
  16. can — a tin
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. mate — a partner
  20. stem — to come from
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. cabinet — ministers

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