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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. chair — a leader
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. craft — boats
  8. rest — what's left
  9. craft — a skill
  10. bass — low music
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. rest — a break
  13. bank — of a river
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. bass — the fish
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — for money
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. bowl — a football final

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