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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.

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: drill · bass · trunk · sharp · cell · pass · game · chest

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. drill — army training
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. drill — a practice
  5. pass — a permit
  6. chest — of your body
  7. game — wild animals
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. game — a match
  10. chest — a box
  11. cell — in biology
  12. drill — the tool
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. cell — a phone
  16. bass — the fish
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. bass — low music
  21. sharp — clever
  22. chest — of your body
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. pass — to succeed

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