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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. object — an aim
  3. lean — thin
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. court — of law
  7. net — after costs
  8. object — a thing
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. net — in sport
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. stem — to come from
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. object — to protest
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. court — for sport
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. net — for catching
  21. court — of a king
  22. lean — to bend
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. stem — a stem cell

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