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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.

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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: charge · lean · net · bass · suit · key · chest · arm

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. suit — in cards
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. suit — clothes
  5. key — for a lock
  6. net — after costs
  7. bass — the fish
  8. chest — a box
  9. net — in sport
  10. key — the most important part
  11. net — for catching
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. charge — electricity
  14. chest — of your body
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. lean — to bend
  17. charge — a price
  18. charge — in control
  19. chest — of your body
  20. suit — to fit
  21. key — in music
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bass — low music
  24. lean — thin

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