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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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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. fall — to drop
  3. rest — what's left
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. fine — all right
  7. rest — a break
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. fall — to drop
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bank — for money
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. fall — the season
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. row — to paddle
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bass — low music
  19. bank — for money
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. fine — high quality
  24. row — a line

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