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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: bass · suit · nail · leaves · date · clip · temple · stand

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bass — the fish
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. suit — to fit
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. clip — a video
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. suit — in cards
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. date — the fruit
  12. bass — low music
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. suit — clothes
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. clip — to cut
  21. stand — to bear
  22. clip — for paper
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — on a finger

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