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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. pop — music
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. key — in music
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. stem — to come from
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. pop — soda
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. chair — a leader
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. pit — a hole
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. key — the most important part
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. snap — to click
  22. pop — to visit
  23. bat — the animal
  24. pit — in a race

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