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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: bass · roll · fall · bulb · clip · stem · craft · prune

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. clip — for paper
  3. clip — to cut
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. clip — a video
  8. bass — the fish
  9. fall — to drop
  10. roll — a list
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. prune — to trim
  14. craft — a skill
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bass — low music
  17. prune — to trim
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. fall — the season
  23. stem — to come from
  24. craft — boats

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