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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. bass — low music
  4. bound — tied together
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. bass — the fish
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. snap — to click
  9. spring — of water
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. bound — certain
  12. bound — obliged
  13. spring — the season
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pass — a permit
  16. current — of water
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. spring — a coil
  19. current — electric
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. stem — to come from
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. current — happening now

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