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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 120 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: pass · bass · shower · stem · hide · branch · saw · foot

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. shower — to wash
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. foot — a measure
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. pass — a permit
  14. saw — the tool
  15. branch — a division
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. stem — to come from
  18. bass — low music
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. bass — the fish
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. shower — rain
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. pass — to succeed

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