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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 116 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: board · squash · mine · bass · present · saw · stick · lash

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. present — the time now
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. present — a gift
  6. bass — the fish
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. mine — for digging
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. present — there
  11. squash — to crush
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. board — to get on
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. squash — the sport
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. board — a committee
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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