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

Word bank: rest · bass · wave · nail · ruler · pit · stem · straw

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. rest — a break
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. rest — what's left
  10. pit — in a race
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bass — the fish
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. stem — to come from
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. pit — a hole
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. rest — what's left

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