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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: fall · pass · stem · season · arm · bass · ruler · last

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — to drop
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. last — to go on
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. season — of the year
  8. season — in sport
  9. last — finally
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. last — final
  12. fall — the season
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. pass — a permit
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. bass — low music

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