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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. net — after costs
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. mate — a partner
  6. stem — to come from
  7. row — a line
  8. cap — a hat
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. cap — a lid
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. mate — a friend
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. cap — of ice
  16. rock — a stone
  17. net — in sport
  18. rock — music
  19. net — for catching
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. ball — a dance
  22. ball — a great time
  23. mate — to breed
  24. row — to paddle

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