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

Word bank: stem · kid · snap · pass · chair · cue · bowl · dip

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. cue — a signal
  4. stem — to come from
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. dip — to sink
  11. cue — a hint
  12. cue — for pool
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. kid — child
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. pass — a permit
  20. chair — a leader
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. kid — to tease
  24. chair — to sit on

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