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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. rash — hasty
  8. plane — a tool
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. wake — a trail
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. rash — a series
  18. bass — the fish
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. stem — to come from

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