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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bear · lash · staff · bay · pop · clip · rock · bass

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bass — low music
  6. staff — employees
  7. pop — to visit
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. pop — music
  10. staff — employees
  11. bear — the animal
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. pop — soda
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. bear — the animal
  16. clip — for paper
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. clip — a video
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. clip — to cut
  21. rock — music
  22. rock — a stone
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. staff — a stick

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