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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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. snap — to click
  3. spring — a coil
  4. charge — in control
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. charge — electricity
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. spring — the season
  10. charge — a price
  11. rush — hurry
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. spring — of water
  16. pop — to visit
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. pop — soda
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. pop — music
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. stem — to come from

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