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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 116 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: face · bass · bowl · stem · tube · stand · tear · pound

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. pound — a weight
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — to rip
  5. tear — from crying
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. face — to point toward
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. face — part of the head
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. tube — a container
  14. stem — to come from
  15. tube — the underground
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. stand — to bear
  18. bass — the fish
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. face — to confront
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. bowl — a football final

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