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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: jam · last · face · bass · charge · hand · arm · capital

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. charge — in control
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. capital — a city
  6. last — finally
  7. last — to go on
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. face — to point toward
  10. hand — in cards
  11. face — to confront
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. charge — a price
  14. bass — low music
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. hand — help
  17. capital — money
  18. bass — the fish
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. face — part of the head
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. charge — electricity
  24. last — final

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