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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. suit — in cards
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. fall — to drop
  6. field — a subject
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. field — for sport
  10. fall — the season
  11. stem — to come from
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. snap — to click
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. fall — to drop
  17. field — farmland
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. suit — to fit
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. suit — clothes
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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