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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.

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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: stem · fine · board · bass · mouse · spring · current · hide

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. fine — all right
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. current — of water
  7. spring — of water
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. current — electric
  10. spring — a coil
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. board — a committee
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. current — happening now
  17. spring — the season
  18. bass — low music
  19. board — to get on
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. bass — the fish
  24. stem — to come from

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