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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. rock — a stone
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. march — the month
  5. cold — an illness
  6. wind — moving air
  7. march — music
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. suit — to fit
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. rock — music
  13. wind — moving air
  14. cold — not warm
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. march — the month
  18. stem — to come from
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. net — after costs
  21. suit — in cards
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. suit — clothes
  24. net — in sport

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