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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. drill — the tool
  4. drill — army training
  5. cell — a phone
  6. stem — to come from
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mate — to breed
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. plane — a tool
  14. sharp — clever
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. drill — a practice
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. mate — a friend
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. bass — low music
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. cell — in biology

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