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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. bass — the fish
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. track — a path
  7. bank — for money
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bank — for money
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bass — low music
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bank — of a river
  16. rock — music
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rock — a stone
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. track — a song
  23. track — to keep track
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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