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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: cap · ruler · leaves · chest · bass · chair · rock · tear

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. chest — a box
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cap — a lid
  9. chest — of your body
  10. bass — low music
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. tear — from crying
  14. tear — to rip
  15. bass — the fish
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. chair — a leader
  20. tear — from crying
  21. rock — music
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. cap — a hat
  24. chest — of your 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