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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: mug · rash · leaves · dip · bass · spring · chest · bank

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. bass — low music
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — for money
  7. spring — the season
  8. spring — of water
  9. bank — of a river
  10. mug — a cup
  11. chest — of your body
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. rash — a series
  14. mug — to rob
  15. rash — hasty
  16. bass — the fish
  17. chest — a box
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. spring — a coil
  21. mug — a face
  22. dip — to sink
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. dip — to dunk

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