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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: arm · saw · rule · stem · bulb · fork · snap · bass

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  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. rule — a law
  2. bass — low music
  3. saw — the tool
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bulb — for light
  7. fork — in a road
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bulb — for light
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. stem — to come from
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. snap — to click
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. bass — the fish
  21. rule — government
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. saw — the tool
  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