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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: lash · bass · trunk · bay · fall · march · chip · jam

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. march — the month
  5. bass — low music
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. fall — to drop
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. chip — to eat
  14. march — music
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. fall — to drop
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. chip — for betting
  22. fall — the season
  23. march — the month
  24. trunk — of a car

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