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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. spring — a coil
  5. rule — a law
  6. snap — to click
  7. suit — in cards
  8. last — final
  9. last — finally
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. spring — the season
  12. last — to go on
  13. staff — employees
  14. spring — of water
  15. lie — to recline
  16. rule — government
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. staff — a stick
  19. suit — to fit
  20. stem — to come from
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. staff — employees

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