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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. mate — a friend
  18. mate — to breed
  19. prune — to trim
  20. mate — a partner
  21. bass — the fish
  22. foot — a measure
  23. stem — to come from
  24. sharp — clever

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