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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — a tin
  4. net — after costs
  5. lean — thin
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. net — in sport
  8. firm — steady
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. firm — a company
  12. lean — to bend
  13. stem — to come from
  14. can — to be able to
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. capital — a city
  17. firm — decided
  18. capital — money
  19. net — for catching
  20. mug — to rob
  21. last — final
  22. last — finally
  23. last — to go on
  24. mug — a face

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