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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 120 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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. cue — for pool
  3. bulb — for light
  4. mate — a partner
  5. pit — in a race
  6. snap — to click
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. bulb — for light
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. mate — a friend
  12. cue — a hint
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. cue — a signal
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. mate — to breed
  17. stem — to come from
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. bat — the animal
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. bat — for baseball

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