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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.

Make a worksheet

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: stand · racket · cap · bass · lash · hide · current · land

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bass — the fish
  4. land — a country
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. stand — to bear
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. current — happening now
  13. cap — of ice
  14. cap — a hat
  15. bass — low music
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. cap — a lid
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. current — of water
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. current — electric
  22. land — to come down
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. lash — an eyelash

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