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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  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. plane — an aircraft
  3. bear — the animal
  4. chest — of your body
  5. pass — a permit
  6. bear — the animal
  7. spring — of water
  8. spring — a coil
  9. plane — a tool
  10. bass — low music
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. mug — to rob
  13. chest — of your body
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. mug — a cup
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. spring — the season
  18. chest — a box
  19. mug — a face
  20. bass — the fish
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. chair — a leader

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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