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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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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: rule · saw · sharp · press · stem · stand · fine · bass

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bass — low music
  4. rule — government
  5. saw — the tool
  6. stand — to bear
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. stem — to come from
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. fine — high quality
  17. press — newspapers
  18. press — a publisher
  19. press — to push
  20. rule — a law
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. bass — the fish
  23. sharp — clever
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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