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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: bound · kick · object · bear · stem · cabinet · dip · bass

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bass — low music
  5. bear — the animal
  6. kick — in football
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. bass — the fish
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bound — tied together
  15. object — a thing
  16. stem — to come from
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. object — to protest
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. bound — obliged
  22. object — an aim
  23. dip — to sink
  24. dip — a sauce

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