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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. capital — a city
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. rock — a stone
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. pass — a permit
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. craft — a skill
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. stem — to come from
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. rock — music
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. craft — boats
  23. capital — money
  24. lie — to recline

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