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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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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: saw · stand · stem · clip · bear · prune · safe · bass

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bass — the fish
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. stem — to come from
  5. stand — to bear
  6. clip — for paper
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bear — the animal
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. clip — a video
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. clip — to cut
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bass — low music
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. stand — on your feet

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