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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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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: cell · bass · bear · stem · ground · press · wake · deal

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. bass — the fish
  5. ground — the earth
  6. deal — to handle
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. stem — to come from
  10. bass — low music
  11. ground — crushed
  12. cell — in biology
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. ground — a position
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. bear — the animal
  17. press — newspapers
  18. cell — a phone
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. press — a publisher
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. press — to push
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. wake — a trail

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