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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. bass — low music
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. degree — from a university
  8. charge — electricity
  9. fine — all right
  10. fine — high quality
  11. charge — a price
  12. degree — temperature
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. degree — an amount
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. stem — to come from
  19. rock — music
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. charge — in control
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. bass — the fish

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