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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. net — for catching
  4. season — of the year
  5. staff — a stick
  6. staff — employees
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. season — in sport
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. net — after costs
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. staff — employees
  15. shower — to wash
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. stem — to come from
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. net — in sport
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. foot — a measure
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. shower — rain

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