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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. saw — the tool
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. shower — to wash
  7. net — for catching
  8. object — a thing
  9. band — a music group
  10. band — a ring
  11. stem — to come from
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. saw — the tool
  14. charge — in control
  15. object — an aim
  16. ball — a dance
  17. shower — rain
  18. ball — a great time
  19. charge — a price
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. object — to protest
  22. charge — electricity
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. net — after costs

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