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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 120 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: mouse · chair · leaves · bass · trunk · game · wave · land

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. game — a match
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. land — a country
  13. bass — low music
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. land — to come down
  17. game — wild animals
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. chair — a leader
  20. land — ground
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bass — the fish
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. trunk — of a car

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