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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. craft — a skill
  3. court — for sport
  4. court — of law
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. bank — of a river
  7. pop — to visit
  8. court — of a king
  9. pop — music
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. craft — boats
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. stem — to come from
  16. bank — for money
  17. snap — to click
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bank — for money
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. pop — soda

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