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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. snap — to click
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. stem — to come from
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. lean — to bend
  8. court — of law
  9. rule — a law
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. rule — government
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. lean — thin
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. court — of a king
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. court — for sport
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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