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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. lean — to bend
  3. branch — a division
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. net — after costs
  6. rock — a stone
  7. net — for catching
  8. net — in sport
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. lean — thin
  11. rock — music
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. cold — not warm
  20. pass — a permit
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. branch — of a bank

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