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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 120 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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. pound — a weight
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. dip — to sink
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. lean — thin
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. lean — to bend
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. craft — boats
  21. craft — a skill
  22. bass — low music
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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