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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. snap — to click
  3. face — part of the head
  4. pound — a weight
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. stem — to come from
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. deal — to handle
  9. bear — the animal
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. face — to point toward
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. pit — in a race
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. face — to confront
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bear — the animal
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. pit — a hole
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. fan — a supporter

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