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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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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: lie · staff · suit · track · bass · degree · chair · nail

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  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. lie — an untruth
  2. bass — low music
  3. track — to keep track
  4. suit — in cards
  5. suit — to fit
  6. degree — temperature
  7. degree — from a university
  8. staff — employees
  9. bass — the fish
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. track — a song
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. staff — employees
  15. chair — a leader
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. staff — a stick
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. suit — clothes
  21. track — a path
  22. degree — an amount
  23. lie — an untruth
  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