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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 120 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
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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: file · bass · nail · chair · calf · pit · stem · spring

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. spring — a coil
  4. spring — of water
  5. file — a document
  6. file — a tool
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. pit — a hole
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. stem — to come from
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bass — low music
  14. spring — the season
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. pit — in a race
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. file — a line of people
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. chair — a leader
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. stem — of a plant

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