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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 116 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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. present — the time now
  4. ground — the earth
  5. prune — to trim
  6. present — there
  7. prune — to trim
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. kick — in football
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. ground — a position
  12. mate — a friend
  13. can — a tin
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. ground — crushed
  16. present — a gift
  17. can — a tin
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. mate — a partner
  22. mate — to breed
  23. stem — to come from
  24. stem — of a plant

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