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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bass — low music
  3. tear — to rip
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. wind — moving air
  9. tear — from crying
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. craft — boats
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. craft — a skill
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. tear — from crying
  23. branch — a division
  24. bowl — to roll

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