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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wake — a trail
  7. charge — a price
  8. rush — hurry
  9. bank — for money
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. mate — a partner
  12. charge — in control
  13. bank — for money
  14. charge — electricity
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. mate — a friend
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. bass — low music
  19. bass — the fish
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. mate — to breed
  22. bank — of a river
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. bass — the instrument

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