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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: mine · jam · chair · lie · wake · content · bass · squash

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. bass — the fish
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. squash — to crush
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. bass — low music
  9. content — the amount
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. content — happy
  12. chair — a leader
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. wake — a trail
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. mine — for digging
  24. squash — the sport

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