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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bank — for money
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. last — final
  6. chest — of your body
  7. squash — to crush
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. squash — the sport
  10. chest — of your body
  11. sharp — clever
  12. bass — the fish
  13. chest — a box
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. last — finally
  16. last — to go on
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bank — of a river
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bank — for money
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. bass — low music
  24. ruler — for measuring

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