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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: bass · mate · spring · suit · row · chest · nail · rest

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. spring — the season
  3. rest — what's left
  4. row — to paddle
  5. mate — a partner
  6. spring — a coil
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bass — low music
  10. suit — in cards
  11. chest — of your body
  12. bass — the fish
  13. mate — a friend
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. chest — a box
  16. suit — to fit
  17. rest — a break
  18. mate — to breed
  19. chest — of your body
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. spring — of water
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. rest — what's left
  24. row — a line

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