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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. stem — to come from
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. court — of a king
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. charge — a price
  11. tear — to rip
  12. tear — from crying
  13. snap — to click
  14. lie — to recline
  15. court — for sport
  16. tear — from crying
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. charge — electricity
  20. stand — to bear
  21. court — of law
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. pound — a weight
  24. charge — in control

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