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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 · bass · capital · saw · sharp · ruler · lash · fan

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. chair — a leader
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. bass — low music
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. sharp — clever
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. saw — the tool
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. saw — the tool
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. capital — money
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. capital — a city
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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