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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. net — in sport
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. object — to protest
  6. tube — a container
  7. bass — the fish
  8. tube — the underground
  9. net — after costs
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. object — an aim
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bass — low music
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. object — a thing
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. net — for catching

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