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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. bass — low music
  6. scale — size or range
  7. chair — a leader
  8. cell — in biology
  9. cell — a phone
  10. pass — a permit
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. bass — the fish
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. scale — in music
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. rest — what's left
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. rest — what's left
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. rest — a break

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