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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: saw · wave · chest · spring · wind · jam · suit · bass

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. saw — the tool
  4. spring — of water
  5. spring — the season
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. chest — of your body
  8. bass — low music
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. chest — a box
  11. suit — to fit
  12. spring — a coil
  13. suit — in cards
  14. suit — clothes
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. chest — of your body
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. wind — moving air

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