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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: swing · bear · nail · bass · net · cabinet · lash · rock

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. net — for catching
  5. net — in sport
  6. rock — music
  7. rock — a stone
  8. bear — the animal
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. bass — low music
  11. swing — in golf
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. net — after costs
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. swing — to play on
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bear — the animal
  24. swing — music

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