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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.

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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: dip · straw · ball · hand · bass · suit · nail · rest

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. ball — a great time
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. ball — a dance
  10. suit — clothes
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bass — low music
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. rest — a break
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. suit — to fit
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. rest — what's left
  20. hand — help
  21. dip — to sink
  22. bass — the fish
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. hand — in cards

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