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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  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. net — in sport
  2. mark — a grade
  3. snap — to click
  4. pit — a hole
  5. mark — a trace
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. net — for catching
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. stem — to come from
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. net — after costs
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. pit — in a race
  20. clip — for paper
  21. clip — a video
  22. clip — to cut
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  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