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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. cold — not warm
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. cold — an illness
  5. cap — a hat
  6. squash — to crush
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. cap — a lid
  9. bank — for money
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. rest — what's left
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. cap — of ice
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bank — of a river
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — a break
  18. stem — to come from
  19. court — of a king
  20. court — for sport
  21. court — of law
  22. squash — the sport
  23. bank — for money
  24. bass — low music

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