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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: rest · pop · spring · bat · press · bass · coach · nail

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. spring — a coil
  9. press — newspapers
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bat — the animal
  13. press — a publisher
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — a break
  16. rest — what's left
  17. pop — soda
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. spring — of water
  20. pop — to visit
  21. press — to push
  22. bass — low music
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. pop — music

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