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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. file — a tool
  3. rest — a break
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. rest — what's left
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. bass — low music
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. rest — what's left
  16. stem — to come from
  17. file — a document
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. mine — for digging
  21. file — a line of people
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. stem — a stem cell

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