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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: leaves · bass · coach · calf · stem · sharp · scale · squash

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bass — low music
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. scale — in music
  6. stem — to come from
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. squash — the sport
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. sharp — clever
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. scale — size or range
  19. bass — the fish
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. leaves — to go away

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