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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. net — for catching
  3. net — in sport
  4. net — after costs
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cue — a signal
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. lean — thin
  10. wound — an injury
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. cue — a hint
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. stem — to come from
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. lean — to bend
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. toast — bread
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. branch — a division
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. toast — the most admired

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