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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.

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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: spring · suit · swing · bass · wave · hand · bore · ball

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. hand — help
  6. suit — to fit
  7. spring — of water
  8. spring — a coil
  9. ball — a dance
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. bass — the fish
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. swing — to play on
  14. swing — music
  15. spring — the season
  16. hand — in cards
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. bore — to tire
  19. ball — a great time
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bass — low music
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. swing — in golf
  24. suit — in cards

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