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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.

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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: bass · foot · chair · swing · rest · arm · wind · cap

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. rest — what's left
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. cap — of ice
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. cap — a hat
  9. chair — a leader
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. swing — in golf
  12. swing — to play on
  13. bass — low music
  14. rest — what's left
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. wind — moving air
  18. cap — a lid
  19. rest — a break
  20. foot — a measure
  21. swing — music
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. wind — moving air
  24. arm — a part of something

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