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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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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: mouse · sharp · leaves · lean · wound · root · net · cap

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. wound — an injury
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. cap — a lid
  6. lean — to bend
  7. wound — an injury
  8. root — of a word
  9. net — for catching
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. sharp — clever
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. root — of a plant
  17. net — after costs
  18. root — the cause
  19. lean — thin
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cap — a hat
  24. net — in sport

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