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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: track · stem · trunk · band · tear · mouse · fall · bass

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. tear — to rip
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. tear — from crying
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. track — a song
  9. track — a path
  10. stem — to come from
  11. fall — to drop
  12. band — a ring
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. band — a music group
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. track — to keep track
  17. tear — from crying
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. bass — low music
  20. fall — the season
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. trunk — of a car
  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