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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: bay · dip · plane · club · wound · stem · bass · spring

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. plane — a tool
  3. bass — the fish
  4. stem — to come from
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. spring — the season
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. club — for golf
  12. club — for dancing
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bass — low music
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. spring — a coil
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. club — a group
  19. spring — of water
  20. wound — an injury
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. dip — to sink
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. wound — an injury

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