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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.

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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: bowl · lean · leaves · safe · bass · pass · chair · cell

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bass — low music
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. lean — to bend
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. pass — a permit
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. cell — in biology
  14. lean — thin
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. chair — a leader
  24. leaves — to go away

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