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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. wake — a trail
  3. spring — a coil
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. firm — a company
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rest — a break
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. tube — the underground
  12. rush — hurry
  13. spring — the season
  14. spring — of water
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. tube — a container
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. bass — low music
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. firm — steady
  24. firm — decided

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