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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: trunk · lie · bass · spring · date · degree · chair · leaves

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. degree — an amount
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. degree — from a university
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. date — the fruit
  14. spring — of water
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. spring — the season
  17. lie — to recline
  18. spring — a coil
  19. chair — a leader
  20. bass — low music
  21. degree — temperature
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. trunk — of a car

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