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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: chair · vault · bass · row · season · mug · chip · clip

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. bass — the fish
  3. row — to paddle
  4. vault — a safe
  5. mug — to rob
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. bass — low music
  8. mug — a cup
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. clip — for paper
  11. clip — a video
  12. season — of the year
  13. chip — for betting
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. mug — a face
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. chip — to eat
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. chair — a leader
  23. season — in sport
  24. clip — to cut

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