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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 124 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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  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. mouse — the animal
  2. spell — a short time
  3. root — of a plant
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. stem — to come from
  6. mate — a partner
  7. bass — the fish
  8. mate — to breed
  9. root — the cause
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. mate — a friend
  13. root — of a word
  14. band — a ring
  15. spell — magic
  16. mug — to rob
  17. mug — a cup
  18. spell — letters
  19. band — a music group
  20. bass — low music
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. mug — a face
  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