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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.

Make a worksheet

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: arm · rest · last · board · leaves · bass · stem · tube

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. last — final
  4. board — a committee
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. board — to get on
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. rest — what's left
  11. tube — a container
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. rest — a break
  14. last — finally
  15. last — to go on
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. stem — to come from
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. tube — the underground
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bass — low music
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. leaves — of a tree

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