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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. bass — the fish
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mark — a trace
  5. wound — an injury
  6. snap — to click
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. bass — low music
  10. stem — to come from
  11. cue — a hint
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. cue — a signal
  15. wound — an injury
  16. fork — in a road
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. cue — for pool
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. mark — a grade

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