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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 124 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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. rest — what's left
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. current — electric
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. lean — thin
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. net — in sport
  11. pop — music
  12. rest — what's left
  13. stem — to come from
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. net — for catching
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. current — happening now
  18. lean — to bend
  19. pop — soda
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. rest — a break
  22. pop — to visit
  23. current — of water
  24. rush — hurry

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