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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · bass · chair · cue · content · trunk · lean · squash

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. chair — a leader
  3. cue — a hint
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. squash — to crush
  6. bass — low music
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. lean — thin
  12. content — the amount
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. content — happy
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. lean — to bend
  18. cue — a signal
  19. cue — for pool
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. squash — the sport
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. bass — the fish

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