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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 120 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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. bass — the fish
  3. race — the arms race
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. stem — to come from
  7. face — to confront
  8. race — humankind
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. board — a committee
  13. board — to get on
  14. scale — in music
  15. scale — size or range
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bass — low music
  18. ball — a dance
  19. race — a contest
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. wind — moving air
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. face — to point toward
  24. face — part of the head

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