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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bass — the fish
  6. lie — to recline
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. season — of the year
  15. fine — all right
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. object — an aim
  18. fine — high quality
  19. bass — low music
  20. object — to protest
  21. stem — to come from
  22. tube — the underground
  23. object — a thing
  24. season — 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