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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 · season · straw · ruler · chest · suit · fall · bass

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. fall — to drop
  4. suit — clothes
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. rest — a break
  8. suit — in cards
  9. fall — the season
  10. rest — what's left
  11. season — of the year
  12. rest — what's left
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. suit — to fit
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bass — the fish
  19. chest — of your body
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. chest — a box
  22. season — in sport
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. chest — of your body

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