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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: bass · jam · wave · land · rash · bore · spring · cabinet

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. rash — a series
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bass — low music
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. bore — to tire
  10. spring — a coil
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. land — a country
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. spring — the season
  18. rash — hasty
  19. bore — to drill
  20. spring — of water
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. land — ground
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. rash — on the skin

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