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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: calf · bass · face · spring · rush · nail · suit · trunk

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. rush — hurry
  3. bass — low music
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. face — to confront
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. face — part of the head
  14. face — to point toward
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. suit — to fit
  18. suit — in cards
  19. spring — of water
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. spring — a coil
  22. bass — the fish
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. suit — clothes

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