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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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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: row · rock · foot · cell · nail · band · stem · bass

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. bass — low music
  4. bass — the fish
  5. row — a line
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. band — a music group
  9. rock — a stone
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. cell — in biology
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. rock — music
  14. cell — a phone
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. foot — a measure
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. stem — to come from
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. row — to paddle
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. band — a ring

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