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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — employees
  7. hand — help
  8. bass — the fish
  9. staff — a stick
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ball — a great time
  13. ball — a dance
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. bass — low music
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. tube — a container
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. tube — the underground
  22. hand — in cards
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. arm — part of the body

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