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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. lean — thin
  3. mate — a partner
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. net — after costs
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. net — for catching
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. lean — to bend
  13. mate — a friend
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. stem — to come from
  16. hand — in cards
  17. net — in sport
  18. key — in music
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. key — the most important part
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. mate — to breed
  24. key — for a lock

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