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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. roll — a list
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. craft — boats
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bass — low music
  8. bass — the fish
  9. file — a document
  10. file — a line of people
  11. roll — a cake
  12. file — a tool
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. suit — in cards
  15. suit — to fit
  16. fall — the season
  17. mate — a partner
  18. stem — to come from
  19. mate — to breed
  20. craft — a skill
  21. suit — clothes
  22. mate — a friend
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. fall — to drop

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