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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. fork — in a road
  3. lean — to bend
  4. stem — to come from
  5. land — a country
  6. lean — thin
  7. bass — low music
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. staff — employees
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. staff — employees
  16. snap — to click
  17. land — to come down
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. land — ground
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. staff — a stick
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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