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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: saw · lean · bass · last · ball · rush · season · bay

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. lean — thin
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. saw — the tool
  7. rush — hurry
  8. lean — to bend
  9. last — to go on
  10. bass — low music
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. ball — a great time
  13. last — finally
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. season — in sport
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. saw — the tool
  20. last — final
  21. season — of the year
  22. ball — a dance
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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