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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  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 — after costs
  2. deal — to handle
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. net — for catching
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. cold — an illness
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. wax — to grow
  10. cold — not warm
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. cell — in biology
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. stem — to come from
  21. cell — a phone
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. cell — in a prison
  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