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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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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: rash · stem · safe · saw · sharp · scale · fan · bass

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. scale — in music
  3. bass — low music
  4. rash — a series
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. sharp — clever
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bass — the fish
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. stem — to come from
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. rash — hasty
  20. scale — size or range
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. scale — for weighing

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