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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. club — for golf
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. stem — to come from
  7. present — the time now
  8. season — of the year
  9. net — after costs
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. club — a group
  12. lean — to bend
  13. club — for dancing
  14. lie — to recline
  15. season — in sport
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. present — there
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. net — for catching
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lean — thin
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. net — in sport
  24. present — a gift

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