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

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. stem — to come from
  3. net — for catching
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. staff — a stick
  8. swing — music
  9. rest — what's left
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. staff — employees
  13. net — after costs
  14. rest — a break
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. face — to point toward
  17. swing — to play on
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. face — part of the head
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. face — to confront
  22. rest — what's left
  23. swing — in golf
  24. net — in sport

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