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

Word bank: snap · pit · hide · cue · leaves · stem · row · wind

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. pit — a hole
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — moving air
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. cue — for pool
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. row — to paddle
  12. stem — to come from
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. cue — a hint
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. row — a line
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. cue — a signal
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. pit — in a race
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. snap — to click

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