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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. cue — a hint
  3. rest — what's left
  4. cold — an illness
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. rest — a break
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. pit — in a race
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. hand — in cards
  14. rush — hurry
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. hand — help
  18. pit — a hole
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. cue — for pool
  21. cue — a signal
  22. rest — what's left
  23. cold — not warm
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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