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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.

Make a worksheet

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: chest · lean · key · bear · bass · rest · leaves · pitcher

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  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. lean — thin
  2. rest — a break
  3. key — in music
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bass — the fish
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. lean — to bend
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. rest — what's left
  11. key — the most important part
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. bass — low music
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. chest — a box
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. key — for a lock
  23. bear — the animal
  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