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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 116 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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bear — the animal
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bound — certain
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bass — low music
  8. bound — tied together
  9. key — for a lock
  10. bound — obliged
  11. snap — to click
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bear — the animal
  14. key — the most important part
  15. stem — to come from
  16. bass — the fish
  17. scale — in music
  18. rest — a break
  19. scale — size or range
  20. key — in music
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. stem — of a plant

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