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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. cap — of ice
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. bass — low music
  5. rock — music
  6. bank — for money
  7. cap — a lid
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. bass — the fish
  12. lean — to bend
  13. spell — letters
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. spell — magic
  16. lean — thin
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. cap — a hat
  19. bank — for money
  20. spell — a short time
  21. rock — a stone
  22. bank — of a river
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. stand — to bear

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