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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  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. lean — thin
  2. firm — a company
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. pitch — completely
  5. net — after costs
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. craft — a skill
  8. wind — moving air
  9. craft — boats
  10. lean — to bend
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. stem — to come from
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. net — for catching
  17. firm — decided
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. firm — steady
  22. wind — moving air
  23. leaves — lets stay
  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