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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: cell · bass · patient · file · racket · ruler · lie · stem

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. stem — to come from
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. bass — low music
  7. lie — to recline
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. file — a tool
  10. file — a line of people
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. file — a document
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. cell — in biology
  23. cell — a phone
  24. racket — a loud noise

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