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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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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: wave · key · cabinet · tear · bass · stem · arm · deal

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. bass — low music
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. tear — from crying
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. key — the most important part
  9. tear — from crying
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. stem — to come from
  12. tear — to rip
  13. deal — to handle
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. key — in music
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bass — the fish
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. key — for a lock
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. stem — of a plant

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