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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bank — of a river
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. last — finally
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. present — the time now
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. present — a gift
  13. last — final
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — for money
  17. prune — to trim
  18. stem — to come from
  19. present — there
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. last — to go on
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bass — the fish

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