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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. squash — the sport
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. bass — the fish
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. bass — low music
  10. squash — to crush
  11. wind — moving air
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. court — for sport
  14. chair — a leader
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. plane — a tool
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. court — of law
  21. court — of a king
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. wind — to turn a key

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