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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: leaves · scale · clip · chair · bass · can · firm · snap

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. can — a tin
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. can — a tin
  5. bass — low music
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. can — to be able to
  9. clip — for paper
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. firm — decided
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. snap — to click
  15. chair — a leader
  16. scale — size or range
  17. clip — a video
  18. firm — a company
  19. bass — the fish
  20. clip — to cut
  21. scale — in music
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. scale — for weighing

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