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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. bass — low music
  4. kid — child
  5. bass — the fish
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. kid — to tease
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — a break
  11. rest — what's left
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. tube — a container
  15. rock — a stone
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. track — a path
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. rock — music
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. track — a song
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. track — to keep track
  24. tube — the underground

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