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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: face · mug · straw · bass · key · stem · mouse · fall

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. key — in music
  3. fall — the season
  4. key — the most important part
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. bass — low music
  7. face — to confront
  8. face — part of the head
  9. mug — a face
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. face — to point toward
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bass — the fish
  18. stem — to come from
  19. fall — to drop
  20. key — for a lock
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. fall — to drop
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. mug — to rob

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