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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: suit · bass · bear · rush · last · bowl · spell · cell

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. bear — the animal
  4. rush — hurry
  5. suit — to fit
  6. suit — in cards
  7. cell — in biology
  8. suit — clothes
  9. last — final
  10. last — to go on
  11. bass — low music
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. spell — letters
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. spell — a short time
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. spell — magic
  21. cell — a phone
  22. bear — the animal
  23. last — finally
  24. rush — to hurry

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