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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. net — for catching
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. board — to get on
  7. stem — to come from
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. mate — a friend
  10. wind — moving air
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. mate — to breed
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. pound — a weight
  18. wind — moving air
  19. net — in sport
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. net — after costs
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. board — a committee
  24. hide — to keep secret

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