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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: firm · trunk · spring · bank · bass · chest · clip · racket

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. clip — to cut
  5. bank — of a river
  6. firm — a company
  7. clip — a video
  8. bank — for money
  9. bass — low music
  10. chest — of your body
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bank — for money
  13. spring — of water
  14. spring — a coil
  15. bass — the fish
  16. firm — steady
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. clip — for paper
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — a box
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. firm — decided
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. trunk — of a tree

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