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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: mug · rush · wake · object · suit · rest · stick · bass

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rest — what's left
  3. suit — in cards
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. object — to protest
  6. rush — hurry
  7. suit — clothes
  8. object — a thing
  9. mug — a face
  10. suit — to fit
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. wake — a trail
  15. bass — low music
  16. rest — a break
  17. bass — the fish
  18. mug — a cup
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. mug — to rob
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. object — an aim
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. rest — what's left

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