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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.

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: cold · cabinet · plane · cue · ball · bass · chair · trunk

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. cold — an illness
  4. cue — a hint
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. ball — a great time
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. plane — a tool
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. bass — low music
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. cold — not warm
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. cue — for pool
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. cue — a signal
  22. bass — the fish
  23. ball — a dance
  24. chair — a leader

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