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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. stem — to come from
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. spell — magic
  8. wake — a trail
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. bank — for money
  11. can — a tin
  12. bank — of a river
  13. pitch — completely
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. can — to be able to
  18. rule — a law
  19. spell — a short time
  20. spell — letters
  21. snap — to click
  22. rule — government
  23. can — a tin
  24. bank — for money

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