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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: bear · pop · stem · patient · chair · bass · pass · plane

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. pass — a permit
  4. bass — low music
  5. chair — a leader
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bear — the animal
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. pop — soda
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. plane — a tool
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bear — the animal
  18. stem — to come from
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. pop — music

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