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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. bear — the animal
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. charge — a price
  6. club — for dancing
  7. mate — to breed
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. stem — to come from
  10. club — for golf
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. degree — an amount
  14. charge — electricity
  15. mate — a friend
  16. degree — temperature
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. bear — the animal
  19. charge — in control
  20. mate — a partner
  21. rush — hurry
  22. degree — from a university
  23. snap — to click
  24. club — a group

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