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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. pop — to visit
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. stem — to come from
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. net — in sport
  9. row — a line
  10. net — for catching
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. pop — music
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. saw — the tool
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. row — to paddle
  18. rock — a stone
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. saw — the tool
  21. rock — music
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. pop — soda

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