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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 reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. rest — what's left
  3. net — in sport
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. bound — certain
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bound — obliged
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. fine — all right
  15. rest — a break
  16. stem — to come from
  17. capital — money
  18. fine — high quality
  19. net — after costs
  20. net — for catching
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. capital — a city
  23. dip — to sink
  24. stem — a stem cell

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