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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  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. shower — a meteor shower
  2. rest — a break
  3. net — in sport
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. prune — to trim
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. shower — rain
  9. current — happening now
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. net — for catching
  12. prune — to trim
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. current — of water
  15. rest — what's left
  16. current — electric
  17. shower — to wash
  18. rest — what's left
  19. lie — to recline
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bat — the animal
  23. stem — to come from
  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