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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. fork — in a road
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. spell — a short time
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. stem — to come from
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. pitch — completely
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. wound — an injury
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. charge — in control
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. charge — a price
  16. spell — magic
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. charge — electricity
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. wound — an injury
  21. snap — to click
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. spell — letters

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