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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bass · shower · wind · coach · date · jam · cabinet · stem

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. date — the fruit
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. stem — to come from
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bass — low music
  9. wind — moving air
  10. shower — to wash
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. bass — the fish
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. shower — rain
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. wind — moving air
  24. stem — a stem cell

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