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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: cue · bass · chair · arm · march · lash · season · spell

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. march — the month
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. chair — a leader
  5. season — of the year
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. spell — a short time
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. march — the month
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bass — low music
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. cue — for pool
  15. season — in sport
  16. march — music
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. cue — a signal
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. spell — magic
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. cue — a hint

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