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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.

Make a worksheet

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: spring · suit · straw · band · mouse · chair · bass · toast

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. bass — low music
  3. band — a music group
  4. spring — of water
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bass — the fish
  9. suit — to fit
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. toast — bread
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. spring — the season
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. spring — a coil
  19. suit — clothes
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. band — a ring
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. chair — a leader
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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