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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. bass — low music
  3. date — the fruit
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. object — an aim
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. object — to protest
  9. lean — to bend
  10. bass — the fish
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. object — a thing
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. net — in sport
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. net — after costs
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. net — for catching
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. lean — thin
  24. lie — to recline

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