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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bass — low music
  4. track — to keep track
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. track — a song
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. snap — to click
  11. stem — to come from
  12. plane — a tool
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. kid — child
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. kid — to tease
  20. bass — the fish
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. stem — a stem cell

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