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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 120 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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bass — low music
  7. bank — for money
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. land — to come down
  16. perch — the fish
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. stem — to come from
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bank — for money
  21. land — a country
  22. land — ground
  23. bass — the fish
  24. wave — with your hand

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