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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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. face — to confront
  3. ground — the earth
  4. club — for dancing
  5. ground — crushed
  6. face — part of the head
  7. ground — a position
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. club — a group
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. snap — to click
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. face — to point toward
  19. club — for golf
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. chair — a leader
  22. stem — to come from
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. jam — a tight spot

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