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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. rest — what's left
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. craft — boats
  6. lean — thin
  7. object — to protest
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. object — an aim
  12. chip — to eat
  13. chip — for betting
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. lean — to bend
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. rest — a break
  18. craft — a skill
  19. net — for catching
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. net — in sport
  22. rest — what's left
  23. object — a thing
  24. branch — a division

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