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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.

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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: kick · stem · fall · bass · mug · calf · sharp · ball

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. stem — to come from
  3. ball — a dance
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bass — the fish
  7. fall — to drop
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. sharp — clever
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mug — a cup
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. ball — a great time
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. mug — a face
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. kick — in football
  21. bass — low music
  22. fall — the season
  23. fall — to drop
  24. sharp — exactly

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