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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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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: wind · stick · kick · snap · stem · mouse · chair · bass

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. wind — moving air
  6. kick — in football
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bass — low music
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. stem — to come from
  12. wind — moving air
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. chair — a leader
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. snap — to click
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. stem — of a plant

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