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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. bass — low music
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. chest — of your body
  5. plane — a tool
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. bass — the fish
  8. spring — of water
  9. chest — of your body
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. chest — a box
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. pass — a permit
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. spring — a coil
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. stem — to come from
  24. spring — the season

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