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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: scale · prune · file · stick · temple · plane · bass · stem

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. scale — size or range
  4. stem — to come from
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. prune — to trim
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. prune — to trim
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. plane — a tool
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. scale — in music
  18. file — a tool
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. file — a line of people
  22. file — a document
  23. bass — the fish
  24. temple — a place of worship

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