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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: rash · content · saw · rest · leaves · bass · bowl · bat

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bat — the animal
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bass — the fish
  6. content — happy
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bass — low music
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. rash — a series
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. rash — hasty
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. content — the amount
  24. rest — a break

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