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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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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 · game · staff · rest · wave · arm · mate · cell

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. rest — what's left
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. staff — employees
  5. mate — a friend
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. mate — a partner
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. game — wild animals
  10. staff — a stick
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. cell — a phone
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bass — the fish
  18. rest — a break
  19. mate — to breed
  20. bass — low music
  21. cell — in biology
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. staff — employees

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