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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  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. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. rash — a series
  4. shower — to wash
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. shower — rain
  7. net — after costs
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. board — to get on
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. lean — to bend
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. lean — thin
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. rash — hasty
  18. stem — to come from
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. net — for catching
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. board — a committee
  23. leaves — of a tree
  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