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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 116 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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. wind — moving air
  3. can — a tin
  4. bass — low music
  5. pass — a permit
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. stem — to come from
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. bass — the fish
  12. object — an aim
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. can — a tin
  15. object — to protest
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. wind — moving air
  19. lean — to bend
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. lean — thin
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. can — to be able to

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