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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. saw — the tool
  3. last — to go on
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. bass — low music
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. last — finally
  9. saw — the tool
  10. stand — to bear
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. last — final
  14. row — to paddle
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. bass — the fish
  17. chair — a leader
  18. snap — to click
  19. row — a line
  20. roll — a cake
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. roll — a list

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