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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. stem — to come from
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. shower — to wash
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. fall — to drop
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. fall — the season
  16. shower — rain
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. wake — a trail
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. lie — to recline

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