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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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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: chest · wave · foot · chair · bass · hide · capital · suit

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. chest — a box
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. bass — the fish
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. chair — a leader
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. chest — of your body
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. suit — clothes
  17. suit — to fit
  18. bass — low music
  19. foot — a measure
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. capital — a city
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. capital — money
  24. suit — in cards

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