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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: stem · bass · cap · saw · pitcher · wave · hide · bound

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. saw — the tool
  3. cap — a lid
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bound — certain
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. saw — the tool
  9. stem — to come from
  10. bound — tied together
  11. cap — of ice
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. bass — the fish
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. cap — a hat
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. bass — low music
  22. bound — obliged
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. pitcher — a jug

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