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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: shower · calf · stem · fall · scale · bass · rock · plane

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. fall — to drop
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. bass — low music
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. scale — in music
  8. shower — rain
  9. shower — to wash
  10. scale — size or range
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. bass — the fish
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. fall — to drop
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. rock — music
  19. plane — a tool
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. fall — the season
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. rock — a stone

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