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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: wake · lie · bass · last · arm · cue · chest · mine

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. last — final
  4. bass — low music
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. cue — a hint
  9. wake — a trail
  10. cue — for pool
  11. lie — to recline
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chest — of your body
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. cue — a signal
  20. chest — a box
  21. mine — for digging
  22. bass — the fish
  23. last — to go on
  24. last — finally

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