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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 felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. bass — low music
  3. cap — of ice
  4. row — to paddle
  5. object — to protest
  6. cap — a lid
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. bass — the fish
  12. craft — a skill
  13. mate — a friend
  14. craft — boats
  15. cap — a hat
  16. row — a line
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. object — an aim
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. object — a thing
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. mate — a partner
  24. mate — to breed

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