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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. face — to confront
  6. rock — music
  7. craft — a skill
  8. face — part of the head
  9. bass — the fish
  10. kid — child
  11. pound — a weight
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. craft — boats
  15. rock — a stone
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. face — to point toward
  18. track — a song
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. track — to keep track
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. kid — to tease
  24. bass — low music

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