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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.

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: nail · bass · rest · rock · season · bank · present · object

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. object — to protest
  3. present — a gift
  4. rock — music
  5. bank — for money
  6. season — of the year
  7. season — in sport
  8. bank — for money
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. rest — what's left
  11. object — an aim
  12. present — the time now
  13. bass — low music
  14. object — a thing
  15. rock — a stone
  16. bass — the fish
  17. present — there
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rest — a break
  21. bank — of a river
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. nail — for a hammer

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