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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. cell — a phone
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. cell — in biology
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. bass — low music
  13. bass — the fish
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. suit — in cards
  16. suit — clothes
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. foot — a measure
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. dip — to sink
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. suit — to fit

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