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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. ball — a great time
  3. wake — a trail
  4. ball — a dance
  5. fine — high quality
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. kid — to tease
  9. kid — child
  10. bass — the fish
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. race — the arms race
  15. race — a contest
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. wax — to grow
  20. fine — all right
  21. race — humankind
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. bass — low music
  24. wake — before a funeral

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