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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
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: straw · row · arm · chair · fan · craft · capital · bass

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. row — to paddle
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. bass — low music
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. craft — boats
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. craft — a skill
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bass — the fish
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. capital — money
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. chair — a leader
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. row — a line
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. capital — a city

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