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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. mark — a trace
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. bound — certain
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. bass — low music
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bound — tied together
  15. rock — music
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. rock — a stone
  18. wind — moving air
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. bark — to shout
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. bass — the fish
  24. wind — moving air

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