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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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468
Word bank
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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. fine — all right
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. bass — low music
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. fine — high quality
  13. spell — a short time
  14. branch — a division
  15. spell — magic
  16. dip — to sink
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. snap — to click
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. spell — letters

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