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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
468
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: bass · spring · fine · bound · rush · straw · pitch · leaves

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. pitch — completely
  3. spring — of water
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. bass — low music
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rush — hurry
  11. spring — a coil
  12. fine — all right
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. bound — certain
  15. bound — tied together
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. spring — the season
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. fine — high quality
  22. bound — obliged
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. bass — the fish

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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