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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. mine — for digging
  8. stem — to come from
  9. bass — low music
  10. cue — for pool
  11. roll — a list
  12. cue — a signal
  13. bass — the fish
  14. cue — a hint
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. clip — to cut
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. clip — a video
  19. clip — for paper
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. roll — a cake
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. mine — belonging to me

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