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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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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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bass — low music
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. rock — a stone
  7. stem — to come from
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. rock — music
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. bass — the fish
  16. stand — to bear
  17. chair — a leader
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. arm — part of the body

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