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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. root — of a plant
  5. pass — a permit
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. root — of a word
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. lean — thin
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lean — to bend
  15. sharp — clever
  16. net — after costs
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. net — in sport
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. root — the cause
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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