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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.

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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: can · rush · bear · bass · rest · band · coach · nail

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. can — a tin
  6. rest — what's left
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bear — the animal
  9. band — a music group
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. rest — a break
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. rush — hurry
  16. bear — the animal
  17. band — a ring
  18. bass — low music
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bass — the fish
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — to be able to

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