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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: bass · pound · rush · chip · pass · plane · prune · stem

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rush — hurry
  4. plane — a tool
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. stem — to come from
  8. pass — a permit
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. chip — for betting
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. prune — to trim
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. chip — to eat
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. pound — a weight
  22. prune — to trim
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. bass — the fish

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