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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 116 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: bass · lie · land · staff · rock · season · squash · sharp

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. staff — a stick
  5. bass — the fish
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. land — to come down
  9. staff — employees
  10. lie — to recline
  11. staff — employees
  12. land — a country
  13. squash — the sport
  14. sharp — clever
  15. land — ground
  16. season — in sport
  17. rock — music
  18. rock — a stone
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. bass — low music
  21. season — of the year
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. squash — to crush

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