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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 124 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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bass — low music
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bass — the fish
  12. chair — a leader
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rush — hurry
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. shower — to wash
  18. shower — rain
  19. hand — in cards
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. hand — help
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. stem — to come from

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