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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. chest — a box
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. chest — of your body
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. season — in sport
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. face — part of the head
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. season — of the year
  15. pound — a weight
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. face — to confront
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. face — to point toward
  21. chest — of your body
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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