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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: game · stem · foot · wake · drill · bass · fall · toast

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. foot — a measure
  6. game — a match
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. toast — bread
  9. game — wild animals
  10. bass — low music
  11. wake — a trail
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bass — the fish
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. fall — the season
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. drill — the tool
  20. fall — to drop
  21. drill — army training
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. stem — to come from
  24. bass — the instrument

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