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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. season — of the year
  7. season — in sport
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bass — low music
  10. stem — to come from
  11. rock — a stone
  12. key — for a lock
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. key — in music
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. fine — all right
  20. rock — music
  21. key — the most important part
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. fine — high quality
  24. jam — a tight spot

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