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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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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: band · saw · leaves · land · bass · arm · bay · rest

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. saw — the tool
  3. band — a ring
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. land — ground
  9. rest — what's left
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. band — a music group
  12. bass — the fish
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. land — to come down
  17. rest — a break
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bass — low music
  20. saw — the tool
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. land — a country
  24. arm — part of the body

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