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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: foot · snap · hand · bass · calf · stem · clip · rush

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. stem — to come from
  5. bass — low music
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. clip — for paper
  8. snap — to click
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. hand — in cards
  11. bass — the fish
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. clip — a video
  15. rush — hurry
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. hand — help
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. foot — a measure
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. clip — to cut
  24. calf — a young animal

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