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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: key · bass · foot · last · bulb · cue · wave · stem

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. foot — a measure
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. cue — a hint
  7. stem — to come from
  8. cue — for pool
  9. key — for a lock
  10. last — finally
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. bass — low music
  17. last — to go on
  18. key — in music
  19. bulb — for light
  20. last — final
  21. bulb — for light
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. cue — a signal
  24. bass — the fish

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