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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: fine · cell · cold · row · charge · foot · bass · stem

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. cell — in biology
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bass — low music
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. foot — a measure
  8. stem — to come from
  9. row — a line
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. cell — a phone
  12. cold — an illness
  13. fine — all right
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. charge — in control
  16. cold — not warm
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. fine — high quality
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. charge — a price
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. charge — electricity

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