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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. rock — music
  4. stem — to come from
  5. suit — clothes
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. spring — a coil
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. spring — of water
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. net — for catching
  15. spring — the season
  16. net — after costs
  17. suit — in cards
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. net — in sport
  21. rock — a stone
  22. pound — a weight
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. cabinet — ministers

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