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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 116 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: firm · wound · cabinet · swing · rock · bass · rash · season

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. rock — music
  5. season — of the year
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bass — the fish
  8. rock — a stone
  9. firm — decided
  10. wound — an injury
  11. swing — in golf
  12. swing — music
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rash — a series
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. season — in sport
  18. firm — a company
  19. firm — steady
  20. swing — to play on
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bass — low music
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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