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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: bass · object · lash · current · jam · pitcher · kid · stem

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bass — low music
  6. stem — to come from
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. object — to protest
  9. object — an aim
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. current — electric
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. current — of water
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. current — happening now
  17. object — a thing
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. kid — child
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. kid — to tease
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bass — the fish

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