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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 116 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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. bass — low music
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bound — obliged
  8. cell — in biology
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bound — certain
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. chair — a leader
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. wax — to grow
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. cell — a phone
  24. lie — to recline

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