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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. firm — decided
  3. drill — the tool
  4. chair — a leader
  5. bass — low music
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. hand — in cards
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. firm — steady
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. bass — the fish
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. drill — a practice
  18. drill — army training
  19. snap — to click
  20. hand — help
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. firm — a company

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