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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. cell — a phone
  8. band — a music group
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. cell — in biology
  11. foot — a measure
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bass — low music
  16. band — a ring
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. foot — the bottom

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