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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: mug · face · bass · rock · pound · sharp · stand · arm

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. mug — a face
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. sharp — clever
  7. face — to point toward
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. mug — a cup
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. bass — low music
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. stand — to bear
  19. pound — a weight
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rock — music
  22. face — to confront
  23. face — part of the head
  24. mug — to rob

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