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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: foot · spell · lash · bass · suit · tube · saw · ground

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. spell — a short time
  3. ground — crushed
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. tube — the underground
  7. suit — clothes
  8. spell — letters
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. saw — the tool
  11. ground — a position
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. saw — the tool
  14. ground — the earth
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. foot — a measure
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. spell — magic
  19. suit — in cards
  20. tube — a container
  21. bass — the fish
  22. suit — to fit
  23. bass — low music
  24. bass — the instrument

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