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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: bark · arm · spring · cap · rest · foot · bass · patient

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. foot — a measure
  5. spring — of water
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bass — the fish
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. spring — the season
  16. rest — a break
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. spring — a coil
  19. rest — what's left
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. cap — a hat
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cap — a lid
  24. rest — what's left

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