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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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468
Word bank
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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bass — low music
  3. kick — in football
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. cell — in biology
  6. suit — to fit
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. pass — a permit
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. perch — the fish
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. stem — to come from
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. suit — in cards
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. cell — a phone
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. suit — clothes

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