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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. shower — rain
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. shower — to wash
  7. bank — for money
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. bank — for money
  14. stand — to bear
  15. toast — bread
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bank — of a river
  18. fall — to drop
  19. stem — to come from
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. fall — to drop
  22. bass — the fish
  23. fall — the season
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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