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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: stem · rule · wake · bass · calf · snap · ball · shower

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. rule — government
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. shower — rain
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bass — the fish
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. wake — a trail
  16. shower — to wash
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. stem — to come from
  19. snap — to click
  20. rule — a law
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. ball — a dance
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. ball — a great time

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