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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. lean — thin
  6. key — for a lock
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. bass — low music
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rash — a series
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. rash — hasty
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. toast — bread
  19. bass — the fish
  20. stem — to come from
  21. key — the most important part
  22. lean — to bend
  23. key — in music
  24. bass — the instrument

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