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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 124 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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. spring — the season
  3. deal — to handle
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. rash — hasty
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bass — low music
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. stem — to come from
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. rush — hurry
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. rash — a series
  23. spring — of water
  24. spring — a coil

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