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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. suit — in cards
  3. bass — low music
  4. suit — clothes
  5. bass — the fish
  6. foot — a measure
  7. field — farmland
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. firm — a company
  11. field — for sport
  12. firm — decided
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. fine — all right
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. field — a subject
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. firm — steady
  21. suit — to fit
  22. fine — high quality
  23. bass — the instrument
  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