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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: chair · cell · mine · cabinet · bound · wave · bass · bore

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. cell — in biology
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. bass — low music
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. chair — a leader
  8. bass — the fish
  9. cell — a phone
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. mine — for digging
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. bound — tied together
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. bound — certain
  17. bore — to drill
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bore — to tire
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. wave — of the sea

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