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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. bass — low music
  3. saw — the tool
  4. firm — steady
  5. firm — a company
  6. capital — money
  7. bass — the fish
  8. track — a path
  9. firm — decided
  10. saw — the tool
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. capital — a city
  18. track — a song
  19. track — to keep track
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. ruler — for measuring

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