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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 116 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 will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. suit — clothes
  3. pop — to visit
  4. lean — to bend
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. stem — to come from
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. bat — the animal
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. fork — in a road
  14. pop — soda
  15. lean — thin
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. kid — child
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. pop — music
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. suit — in cards
  23. snap — to click
  24. kid — to tease

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