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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 120 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 was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. mark — a grade
  4. craft — a skill
  5. net — in sport
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. club — for dancing
  8. club — a group
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. mine — for digging
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. craft — boats
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. mark — a trace
  17. club — for golf
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. stem — to come from
  20. net — after costs
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. net — for catching
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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