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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. firm — decided
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. firm — a company
  6. drill — army training
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. drill — the tool
  10. file — a tool
  11. drill — a practice
  12. season — in sport
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. file — a document
  15. file — a line of people
  16. lean — thin
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. bass — the fish
  20. firm — steady
  21. season — of the year
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. chair — a leader
  24. lean — to bend

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