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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lean · net · spring · dip · pitcher · wave · foot · stem

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. foot — a measure
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. net — after costs
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. stem — to come from
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. lean — to bend
  14. net — in sport
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. spring — of water
  17. spring — a coil
  18. spring — the season
  19. lean — thin
  20. net — for catching
  21. dip — to sink
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. dip — a sauce

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