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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bank — of a river
  5. pop — soda
  6. pop — music
  7. pop — to visit
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. shower — rain
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. swing — in golf
  13. stem — to come from
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. swing — to play on
  17. shower — to wash
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bank — for money
  21. swing — music
  22. bank — for money
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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