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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
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: mug · spell · bass · chest · chair · stem · race · ground

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. ground — the earth
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. stem — to come from
  5. race — the arms race
  6. bass — low music
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bass — the fish
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. ground — crushed
  11. mug — to rob
  12. chest — of your body
  13. mug — a cup
  14. spell — a short time
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. chair — a leader
  17. spell — letters
  18. spell — magic
  19. race — a contest
  20. race — humankind
  21. ground — a position
  22. chest — a box
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. mug — a face

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