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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 120 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
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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: rush · bass · mine · foot · bound · bore · squash · suit

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. suit — clothes
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bound — obliged
  5. rush — hurry
  6. bore — to drill
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bass — low music
  10. suit — to fit
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. foot — a measure
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. squash — the sport
  22. bound — certain
  23. squash — to crush
  24. mine — for digging

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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