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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. spring — a coil
  4. bass — the fish
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. stem — to come from
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. spring — the season
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. bass — low music
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. spring — of water
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. pass — a permit
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. bass — the instrument

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