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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. bass — the fish
  9. court — for sport
  10. object — to protest
  11. foot — a measure
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. court — of a king
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. bass — low music
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. lean — thin
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. object — a thing
  20. lean — to bend
  21. object — an aim
  22. court — of law
  23. band — a music group
  24. lean — to rest against

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