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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bass — low music
  4. mark — a trace
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. kick — in football
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. track — a song
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. bass — the fish
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. track — to keep track
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. last — finally
  22. last — to go on
  23. track — a path
  24. mark — a grade

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