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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  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. mouse — the animal
  3. cap — of ice
  4. bass — the fish
  5. branch — a division
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. season — in sport
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. firm — a company
  13. hand — in cards
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. cap — a hat
  16. firm — steady
  17. firm — decided
  18. season — of the year
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. cap — a lid
  21. hand — help
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. bass — low music
  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