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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 120 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: bass · board · lash · perch · arm · wake · season · bay

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bass — low music
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. wake — a trail
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. board — to get on
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. season — in sport
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. board — a committee
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — the fish
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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