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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: last · bass · spell · track · nail · club · lie · spring

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. club — for golf
  3. track — a path
  4. track — a song
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bass — low music
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. lie — to recline
  10. track — to keep track
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. spell — magic
  13. last — finally
  14. club — a group
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. spell — letters
  17. spring — of water
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. spring — the season
  20. club — for dancing
  21. spell — a short time
  22. last — to go on
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. last — final

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