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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.

Make a worksheet

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: current · toast · wound · stem · lie · file · bass · squash

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. file — a document
  4. toast — bread
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. wound — an injury
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. squash — to crush
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. current — electric
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. bass — low music
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. current — happening now
  15. squash — the sport
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bass — the fish
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. file — a line of people
  21. current — of water
  22. file — a tool
  23. toast — the most admired
  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