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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 116 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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. season — of the year
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. season — in sport
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bass — the fish
  7. suit — to fit
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. bound — tied together
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. root — of a word
  12. kick — in football
  13. root — of a plant
  14. bound — obliged
  15. suit — in cards
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. suit — clothes
  18. bass — low music
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. chair — a leader
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bound — certain
  24. root — the cause

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