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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bass — low music
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. kick — in football
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. bass — the fish
  11. content — the amount
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. ball — a dance
  16. season — in sport
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. content — happy
  21. ball — a great time
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. stem — to come from
  24. season — of the year

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