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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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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. bass — the fish
  4. spring — the season
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. chest — of your body
  7. spring — of water
  8. bass — low music
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. season — of the year
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. spring — a coil
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. chest — a box
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. chest — of your body
  19. season — in sport
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. chair — a leader

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