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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. bound — certain
  3. pop — music
  4. craft — a skill
  5. pop — soda
  6. kid — to tease
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. craft — boats
  9. bank — of a river
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. stem — to come from
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. wake — a trail
  14. kid — child
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bound — tied together
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. bass — low music
  20. bank — for money
  21. pop — to visit
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. bank — for money

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