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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. ball — a great time
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. net — after costs
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. band — a ring
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. chest — a box
  12. net — in sport
  13. bass — low music
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. net — for catching
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. chest — of your body
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. ball — a dance
  20. band — a music group
  21. bass — the fish
  22. stem — to come from
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. chest — of your body

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