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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: land · calf · chair · bass · snap · spell · mug · cap

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. bass — low music
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. mug — a cup
  6. bass — the fish
  7. mug — to rob
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. cap — a lid
  11. snap — to click
  12. spell — letters
  13. cap — of ice
  14. chair — a leader
  15. mug — a face
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. land — to come down
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. spell — a short time
  21. spell — magic
  22. cap — a hat
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. land — ground

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