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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 124 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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. bass — low music
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. ball — a dance
  9. squash — to crush
  10. bear — the animal
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. squash — the sport
  13. ball — a great time
  14. bass — the fish
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. mine — for digging
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. lean — thin
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. bear — the animal
  23. lean — to bend
  24. ball — a round shape

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