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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: pass · can · snap · arm · wave · stem · bark · present

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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. snap — to click
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. can — a tin
  5. pass — a permit
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. can — a tin
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. bark — to shout
  13. present — a gift
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. can — to be able to
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. present — the time now
  19. present — there
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. stem — to come from

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