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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 · wound · hide · bat · nail · firm · lean · bass

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bass — the fish
  4. firm — decided
  5. lean — thin
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. firm — a company
  13. lean — to bend
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. stem — to come from
  16. bass — low music
  17. bat — the animal
  18. firm — steady
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. lean — to rest against
  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