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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: can · bank · straw · bass · cap · fall · lash · pound

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. can — to be able to
  4. cap — a hat
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. bank — for money
  7. can — a tin
  8. fall — the season
  9. fall — to drop
  10. pound — a weight
  11. cap — of ice
  12. bank — for money
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. can — a tin
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bass — low music
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. cap — a lid
  20. fall — to drop
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. bass — the fish
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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