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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.

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: bass · rule · bowl · rock · cold · stem · wax · ball

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. stem — to come from
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. ball — a great time
  6. ball — a dance
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. rock — a stone
  10. wax — to grow
  11. bass — low music
  12. cold — an illness
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. cold — not warm
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. rule — government
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. bass — the fish
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. rule — a law
  22. rock — music
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bass — the instrument

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