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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
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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: dip · craft · patient · bass · chair · row · calf · arm

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. chair — a leader
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. row — to paddle
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. row — a line
  16. craft — a skill
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. craft — boats
  19. dip — to sink
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. bass — the fish
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. arm — part of the body

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