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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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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: bass · stem · cue · chip · lie · race · fall · pop

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. chip — to eat
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. race — a contest
  6. fall — to drop
  7. race — the arms race
  8. pop — music
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. pop — soda
  11. pop — to visit
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. cue — for pool
  14. bass — low music
  15. lie — to recline
  16. cue — a hint
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. chip — for betting
  20. bass — the fish
  21. fall — the season
  22. cue — a signal
  23. fall — to drop
  24. race — humankind

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