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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.

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: bulb · march · leaves · nail · stick · bass · saw · rest

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — the tool
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. rest — what's left
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. bass — the fish
  8. march — music
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. bulb — for light
  12. rest — a break
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bulb — for light
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. march — the month
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. march — the month
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. rest — what's left
  24. leaves — of a tree

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