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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. object — an aim
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. bass — low music
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. snap — to click
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. stem — to come from
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. lie — to recline
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rush — hurry
  19. bass — the fish
  20. object — to protest
  21. scale — size or range
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. scale — in music
  24. lie — an untruth

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