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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. last — to go on
  3. bulb — for light
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. stem — to come from
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. last — final
  9. bulb — for light
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. craft — boats
  12. foot — a measure
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. last — finally
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. craft — a skill
  18. dip — to sink
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. stem — a stem cell

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