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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. season — of the year
  3. bass — the fish
  4. season — in sport
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. bass — low music
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. cell — in biology
  12. sharp — clever
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. band — a music group
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — the season
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. foot — a measure
  23. band — a ring
  24. cell — a phone

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