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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. scale — in music
  4. wound — an injury
  5. snap — to click
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. rest — what's left
  9. kick — in football
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. fork — in a road
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. rest — what's left
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. scale — size or range
  17. wound — an injury
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. rest — a break
  20. deal — to handle
  21. stem — to come from
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. deal — a big deal

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