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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.

Make a worksheet

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 put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  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. chair — to sit on
  2. lie — to recline
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. bass — low music
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. season — of the year
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. bass — the fish
  10. mine — for digging
  11. fork — in a road
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. chair — a leader
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. season — in sport

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