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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 116 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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. stem — to come from
  4. bass — the fish
  5. court — of law
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. court — of a king
  11. court — for sport
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. charge — in control
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. charge — a price
  21. charge — electricity
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bass — low music
  24. wind — moving air

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