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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. net — after costs
  4. bass — low music
  5. rash — hasty
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. charge — a price
  13. net — for catching
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. rash — a series
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. branch — a division
  18. prune — to trim
  19. charge — in control
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. charge — electricity
  22. prune — to trim
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. lash — an eyelash

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