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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 · staff · bass · saw · date · rush · sharp · net

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  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. rest — a break
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. bass — the fish
  4. date — the fruit
  5. bass — low music
  6. rest — what's left
  7. staff — employees
  8. saw — the tool
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. staff — employees
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. staff — a stick
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. net — for catching
  16. net — after costs
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. sharp — clever
  20. net — in sport
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. saw — the tool
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rest — what's left

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