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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pit · spell · stem · present · lash · object · date · bass

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. date — the fruit
  3. present — the time now
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bass — low music
  6. stem — to come from
  7. spell — magic
  8. spell — letters
  9. present — there
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. spell — a short time
  13. pit — a hole
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. bass — the fish
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. object — a thing
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. object — to protest
  21. object — an aim
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. pit — in a race
  24. date — on the calendar

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