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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: dip · lie · trunk · season · spring · nail · pit · bass

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. bass — low music
  3. pit — a hole
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. spring — of water
  6. bass — the fish
  7. season — of the year
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. spring — the season
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. season — in sport
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. dip — to sink
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. pit — in a race
  24. lie — to recline

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