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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. fall — to drop
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. net — for catching
  6. charge — a price
  7. fall — the season
  8. ball — a dance
  9. charge — electricity
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. charge — in control
  12. wake — a trail
  13. ball — a great time
  14. rash — hasty
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. net — in sport
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. stem — to come from
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. fall — to drop
  22. rash — a series
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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