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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. rash — a series
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. rule — a law
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. rash — hasty
  9. season — in sport
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. toast — bread
  14. season — of the year
  15. bass — the fish
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. bass — low music
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. kick — in football
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. rule — government
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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