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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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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: stick · fall · stem · object · bay · key · bass · swing

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. key — in music
  3. bass — low music
  4. key — the most important part
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. swing — to play on
  7. fall — the season
  8. swing — in golf
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. object — a thing
  13. object — an aim
  14. fall — to drop
  15. swing — music
  16. fall — to drop
  17. key — for a lock
  18. bass — the fish
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. stem — to come from
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. object — to protest

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