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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. suit — to fit
  3. spell — a short time
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. field — a subject
  8. rock — a stone
  9. pop — soda
  10. bass — the fish
  11. suit — in cards
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. field — farmland
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. spell — magic
  16. suit — clothes
  17. spell — letters
  18. field — for sport
  19. rock — music
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. pop — music
  23. bass — low music
  24. pop — to visit

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