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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. swing — in golf
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. cap — a hat
  9. swing — to play on
  10. rock — music
  11. lean — to bend
  12. stem — to come from
  13. bass — low music
  14. cap — of ice
  15. lean — thin
  16. plane — a tool
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. cap — a lid
  19. swing — music
  20. squash — to crush
  21. squash — the sport
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. rock — a stone

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