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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: bass · mate · chair · bark · leaves · ball · plane · saw

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. bark — to shout
  6. ball — a dance
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. mate — a friend
  10. plane — a tool
  11. mate — a partner
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. chair — a leader
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bass — low music
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. saw — the tool
  21. ball — a great time
  22. mate — to breed
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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