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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.

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: mine · perch · stem · chest · calf · current · arm · bass

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  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. bass — low music
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. chest — a box
  6. current — happening now
  7. current — electric
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. stem — to come from
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. current — of water
  13. perch — the fish
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. chest — of your body
  16. mine — for digging
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bass — the fish
  22. chest — of your body
  23. calf — of the leg
  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