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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. file — a tool
  5. file — a document
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. bass — the fish
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. current — of water
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. bank — for money
  17. current — happening now
  18. current — electric
  19. bank — for money
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. file — a line of people
  23. bass — low music
  24. bank — of a river

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