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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. last — finally
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. last — to go on
  6. drill — a practice
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. last — final
  9. scale — in music
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. track — to keep track
  13. drill — army training
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bass — low music
  17. track — a path
  18. drill — the tool
  19. track — a song
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. scale — size or range

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