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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  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. land — to come down
  2. row — to paddle
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bass — the fish
  6. cell — in biology
  7. land — ground
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. land — a country
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bass — low music
  17. kick — in football
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. row — a line
  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