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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: mouse · cabinet · bass · toast · cell · wind · last · stem

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bass — low music
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. last — to go on
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. stem — to come from
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. toast — bread
  18. bass — the fish
  19. cell — in biology
  20. last — finally
  21. cell — a phone
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. last — final

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