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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: bay · bass · wax · band · mine · staff · patient · stem

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bass — the fish
  6. band — a music group
  7. stem — to come from
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. staff — a stick
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. wax — to grow
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. mine — for digging
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. band — a ring
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bass — low music
  24. staff — employees

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