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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: hand · current · race · bass · stand · stem · clip · bear

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. current — of water
  3. bass — the fish
  4. race — humankind
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. race — the arms race
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. current — happening now
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. bass — low music
  12. clip — for paper
  13. stem — to come from
  14. clip — to cut
  15. race — a contest
  16. hand — in cards
  17. hand — help
  18. stand — to bear
  19. bear — the animal
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. current — electric
  22. bear — the animal
  23. clip — a video
  24. stand — on your feet

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