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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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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: jam · chest · lie · rock · deal · club · calf · bass

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. club — for dancing
  6. deal — to handle
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. rock — music
  9. chest — a box
  10. bass — low music
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. lie — to recline
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bass — the fish
  15. rock — a stone
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. chest — of your body
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. club — for golf
  23. club — a group
  24. calf — a young animal

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