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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bass — low music
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. bass — the fish
  10. rest — a break
  11. track — a song
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. bark — to shout
  15. track — a path
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. saw — the tool
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. lie — to recline
  20. tube — a container
  21. tube — the underground
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. rest — what's left

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