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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. stem — to come from
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. swing — music
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. bass — low music
  8. suit — clothes
  9. mate — to breed
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. swing — in golf
  12. swing — to play on
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. suit — to fit
  15. bass — the fish
  16. suit — in cards
  17. craft — a skill
  18. mate — a partner
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. mate — a friend
  23. craft — boats
  24. mine — for digging

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