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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: trunk · stem · shower · fine · plane · pit · bass · suit

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  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. fine — all right
  2. shower — to wash
  3. bass — low music
  4. pit — a hole
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. bass — the fish
  7. suit — clothes
  8. suit — in cards
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. suit — to fit
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. plane — a tool
  19. fine — high quality
  20. pit — in a race
  21. shower — rain
  22. stem — to come from
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  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