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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. stem — to come from
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. shower — to wash
  8. suit — in cards
  9. mark — a grade
  10. last — finally
  11. bass — the fish
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bass — low music
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. shower — rain
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. last — to go on
  19. last — final
  20. mark — a trace
  21. mine — for digging
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. suit — to fit

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