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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: wind · board · pop · ruler · bass · shower · bulb · stem

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. wind — moving air
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bass — the fish
  5. pop — to visit
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. wind — moving air
  9. bass — low music
  10. pop — music
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. shower — rain
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — for light
  19. shower — to wash
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. board — to get on
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. board — a committee
  24. pop — soda

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