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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. lean — thin
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. lean — to bend
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. saw — the tool
  7. prune — to trim
  8. can — to be able to
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. can — a tin
  11. firm — decided
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. net — for catching
  15. can — a tin
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. saw — the tool
  20. net — in sport
  21. net — after costs
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. firm — steady

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