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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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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. bank — of a river
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. squash — the sport
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. spring — the season
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. bass — the fish
  13. pass — a permit
  14. spring — a coil
  15. bank — for money
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bass — low music
  18. bank — for money
  19. squash — to crush
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. spring — of water
  24. rock — a stone

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