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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: bulb · rock · bass · content · stem · band · wake · saw

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. content — the amount
  5. stem — to come from
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. band — a ring
  8. bass — the fish
  9. wake — a trail
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bass — low music
  12. saw — the tool
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rock — music
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. saw — the tool
  18. band — a music group
  19. bulb — for light
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. bulb — 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