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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 · present · kick · wind · pitcher · ruler · sharp · stem

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. wind — moving air
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. present — a gift
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. present — the time now
  12. snap — to click
  13. kick — in football
  14. stem — to come from
  15. sharp — clever
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. wind — moving air
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. pitcher — a jug

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