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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. bass — low music
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. mine — for digging
  6. stem — to come from
  7. object — an aim
  8. roll — a cake
  9. roll — a list
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. object — a thing
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bass — the fish
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. fine — high quality
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. object — to protest

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