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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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. bass — the fish
  5. prune — to trim
  6. cell — in biology
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. rash — a series
  9. ball — a great time
  10. prune — to trim
  11. shower — to wash
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. chair — a leader
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. bass — low music
  19. cell — a phone
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. rash — hasty
  23. ball — a dance
  24. shower — rain

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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