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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: bass · spring · rest · patient · rock · foot · track · tube

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  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. rock — music
  2. spring — the season
  3. spring — a coil
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. track — to keep track
  6. rock — a stone
  7. bass — low music
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. foot — a measure
  13. track — a path
  14. tube — a container
  15. bass — the fish
  16. track — a song
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. rest — a break
  20. spring — of water
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. tube — the underground
  23. rest — what's left
  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