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

Word bank: wave · key · kick · bay · race · bass · lean · rash

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. bass — low music
  3. bass — the fish
  4. key — for a lock
  5. race — a contest
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. kick — in football
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. key — the most important part
  13. lean — thin
  14. race — the arms race
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. key — in music
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. rash — hasty
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. rash — a series
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. race — humankind
  24. lean — to bend

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