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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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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bank — for money
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bank — for money
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. can — to be able to
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bass — the fish
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. can — a tin
  19. rush — hurry
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. can — a tin
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. wound — an injury

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