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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. can — a tin
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. cue — a hint
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. cue — a signal
  10. bass — low music
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. dip — to sink
  21. stem — to come from
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. cue — for pool

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