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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. bass — the fish
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. rock — a stone
  6. mug — to rob
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. bass — low music
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. mug — a cup
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. prune — to trim
  14. row — to paddle
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. prune — to trim
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. stem — to come from
  20. rock — music
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. row — a line
  24. mug — a face

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