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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. tube — the underground
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. bank — for money
  9. tube — a container
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bank — for money
  12. rock — music
  13. chair — a leader
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. bank — of a river
  16. lie — to recline
  17. ball — a great time
  18. bass — low music
  19. ball — a dance
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. rock — a stone
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. rock — to move gently

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