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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 116 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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. firm — a company
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. firm — steady
  5. season — of the year
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. wake — a trail
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. season — in sport
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. stem — to come from
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. firm — decided
  16. net — for catching
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. tube — a container
  20. saw — the tool
  21. net — in sport
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. tube — the underground
  24. saw — the tool

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