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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. net — for catching
  3. band — a ring
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. stem — to come from
  6. kid — child
  7. kick — in football
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. lean — to bend
  11. bulb — for light
  12. kid — to tease
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. band — a music group
  19. bulb — for light
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. lean — thin
  23. net — after costs
  24. bulb — of a plant

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