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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: bass · scale · safe · land · nail · last · stem · prune

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. last — final
  7. stem — to come from
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. scale — in music
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. bass — the fish
  14. scale — size or range
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. bass — low music
  17. land — to come down
  18. land — ground
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. land — a country
  21. prune — to trim
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. last — to go on
  24. prune — to trim

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