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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. march — the month
  4. net — for catching
  5. lean — thin
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. rest — what's left
  8. march — music
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. march — the month
  12. rest — what's left
  13. scale — size or range
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. lean — to bend
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. stem — to come from
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. pass — a permit
  21. rest — a break
  22. scale — in music
  23. net — in sport
  24. wave — with your hand

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