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

Word bank: chair · cap · nail · bass · craft · board · hand · temple

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. hand — help
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bass — the fish
  6. craft — boats
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. hand — in cards
  12. cap — a hat
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. chair — a leader
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. board — to get on
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. cap — a lid
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. craft — a skill
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. board — a committee
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. cap — of ice

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