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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. stem — to come from
  9. fine — all right
  10. bass — the fish
  11. charge — in control
  12. rest — what's left
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. rest — a break
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. charge — a price
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. charge — electricity
  20. fine — high quality
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. stem — a stem cell

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