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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. net — after costs
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. net — in sport
  5. stem — to come from
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. fall — the season
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. row — to paddle
  13. foot — a measure
  14. dip — to sink
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. toast — bread
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. fall — to drop
  23. row — a line
  24. fall — to drop

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