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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 120 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 · spring · cue · bass · shower · bowl · bank · snap

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. snap — to click
  5. bank — for money
  6. spring — a coil
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. bank — of a river
  10. spring — the season
  11. spring — of water
  12. stem — to come from
  13. cue — for pool
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. cue — a signal
  16. shower — to wash
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. bank — for money
  20. shower — rain
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. cue — a hint

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