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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. stem — to come from
  4. cap — of ice
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. pop — soda
  7. last — finally
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. wake — a trail
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. cap — a lid
  14. pop — music
  15. bass — low music
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. cap — a hat
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. kid — to tease
  21. pop — to visit
  22. last — final
  23. kid — child
  24. last — to go on

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