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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. net — for catching
  5. stem — to come from
  6. wind — moving air
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. charge — in control
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. net — after costs
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. stand — to bear
  14. charge — electricity
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. cold — an illness
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. wind — moving air
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. net — in sport
  21. charge — a price
  22. rock — music
  23. cold — not warm
  24. rock — a stone

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