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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. stem — to come from
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bass — low music
  6. bass — the fish
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — the animal
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bat — the animal
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. pass — to spend time

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