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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: bass · bulb · rash · staff · bore · stem · arm · spell

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  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. arm — part of the body
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. rash — hasty
  4. staff — a stick
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bass — low music
  8. rash — a series
  9. spell — letters
  10. staff — employees
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bulb — for light
  13. spell — magic
  14. spell — a short time
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bore — to tire
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. stem — to come from
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bore — to drill
  21. staff — employees
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bulb — for light
  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