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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 120 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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. craft — a skill
  3. present — there
  4. present — the time now
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. track — a path
  7. fall — the season
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. fall — to drop
  10. spring — of water
  11. track — a song
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. spring — the season
  15. fall — to drop
  16. craft — boats
  17. dip — to sink
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. stem — to come from
  21. present — a gift
  22. track — to keep track
  23. snap — to click
  24. spring — a coil

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