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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 116 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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. swing — in golf
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. court — of a king
  6. charge — in control
  7. snap — to click
  8. court — of law
  9. key — for a lock
  10. swing — music
  11. stem — to come from
  12. charge — a price
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. charge — electricity
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. saw — the tool
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. court — for sport
  22. swing — to play on
  23. key — the most important part
  24. key — in music

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