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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: date · foot · jam · nail · rash · clip · lie · bass

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. rash — hasty
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bass — low music
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. date — the fruit
  10. clip — for paper
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. foot — a measure
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. clip — a video
  16. lie — to recline
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. clip — to cut
  22. rash — a series
  23. bass — the fish
  24. lie — an untruth

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