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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: mouse · clip · straw · stem · temple · suit · bass · dip

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. bass — low music
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. suit — clothes
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. clip — for paper
  11. bass — the fish
  12. clip — a video
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. suit — in cards
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. suit — to fit
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. dip — to sink
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. clip — to cut
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. dip — a sauce
  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