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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.

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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: rash · fine · spring · rest · foot · bass · wake · staff

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. fine — all right
  3. staff — employees
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. rash — hasty
  7. bass — low music
  8. rash — a series
  9. bass — the fish
  10. spring — the season
  11. rest — what's left
  12. staff — a stick
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rest — what's left
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. wake — a trail
  18. spring — of water
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. fine — high quality
  21. staff — employees
  22. foot — a measure
  23. rest — a break
  24. spring — a coil

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