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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: leaves · bass · chair · fan · safe · wake · ball · press

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. ball — a great time
  4. chair — a leader
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. press — to push
  11. wake — a trail
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. ball — a dance
  14. press — a publisher
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. bass — the fish
  21. press — newspapers
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — to cool the air

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