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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. last — to go on
  7. last — finally
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bass — low music
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. lean — thin
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bear — the animal
  18. lean — to bend
  19. bark — to shout
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. fine — high quality
  23. fine — all right
  24. last — final

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