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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. pit — a hole
  3. bass — low music
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. vault — a safe
  6. rest — a break
  7. drill — army training
  8. pit — in a race
  9. cell — a phone
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. drill — the tool
  12. rest — what's left
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. drill — a practice
  16. rest — what's left
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bass — the fish
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. cell — in biology
  24. season — in sport

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