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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: snap · bass · chest · cap · arm · cabinet · sharp · coach

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. bass — low music
  4. cap — a lid
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cap — a hat
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. cap — of ice
  11. bass — the fish
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. sharp — clever
  14. chest — of your body
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. chest — of your body
  17. snap — to click
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. coach — a trainer

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