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

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. scale — in music
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. scale — size or range
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. lean — thin
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. stem — to come from
  11. lean — to bend
  12. net — after costs
  13. prune — to trim
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. rest — a break
  16. bass — the fish
  17. net — in sport
  18. prune — to trim
  19. rest — what's left
  20. kick — in football
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bass — low music
  23. net — for catching
  24. prune — the fruit

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