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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: rash · plane · degree · can · bass · bear · stem · bound

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. can — a tin
  3. bear — the animal
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. can — to be able to
  8. plane — a tool
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. rash — a series
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. degree — temperature
  14. degree — from a university
  15. bound — obliged
  16. can — a tin
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bound — tied together
  19. stem — to come from
  20. rash — hasty
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. bound — certain
  23. degree — an amount
  24. bass — the fish

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