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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. stem — to come from
  5. pop — soda
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. rule — a law
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — to drop
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. pop — music
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bank — for money
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. snap — to click
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. pop — to visit
  20. fall — the season
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — of a river
  24. rule — government

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