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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: land · cell · row · stem · lie · rush · tube · bass

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. land — ground
  3. row — a line
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. tube — the underground
  11. land — to come down
  12. lie — to recline
  13. cell — a phone
  14. rush — hurry
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. land — a country
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bass — low music
  21. bass — the fish
  22. row — to paddle
  23. tube — a container
  24. cell — in biology

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