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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.

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: hand · season · bass · stick · land · ruler · present · rash

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. land — ground
  4. land — a country
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. present — the time now
  8. present — a gift
  9. bass — the fish
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. season — in sport
  14. hand — in cards
  15. season — of the year
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. land — to come down
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. present — there
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. hand — help
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. bass — low music
  24. rash — a series

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