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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: snap · stem · kick · chest · file · ball · hand · dip

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. snap — to click
  3. file — a document
  4. chest — of your body
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. kick — in football
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. hand — help
  10. hand — in cards
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. dip — to sink
  14. chest — of your body
  15. stem — to come from
  16. chest — a box
  17. ball — a dance
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. file — a line of people
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. file — a tool
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. ball — a great time

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