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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. band — a music group
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. fall — the season
  11. fall — to drop
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. track — to keep track
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bass — low music
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. track — a song
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. track — a path
  24. band — a ring

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