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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: capital · last · object · bore · stem · bass · season · wave

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. bass — low music
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. bore — to tire
  6. stem — to come from
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. season — of the year
  9. object — an aim
  10. bass — the fish
  11. last — finally
  12. season — in sport
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. capital — money
  15. last — to go on
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. object — a thing
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. last — final
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. capital — a city
  24. capital — a big letter

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