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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bass · coach · craft · chair · sharp · last · bay · mouse

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. last — to go on
  4. bass — low music
  5. sharp — clever
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. craft — boats
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. last — finally
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. bass — the fish
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. last — final
  22. chair — a leader
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. craft — a skill

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