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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. shower — rain
  3. bass — low music
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. bass — the fish
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. lean — thin
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. stem — to come from
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. shower — to wash
  17. lean — to bend
  18. mate — to breed
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. dip — to sink
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. mate — a partner
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. mate — a friend

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