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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 120 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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. present — there
  3. lean — to bend
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. wind — moving air
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. stem — to come from
  11. present — a gift
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. present — the time now
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. lean — thin
  18. pound — a weight
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. wind — moving air
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. racket — a loud noise

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