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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.

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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: deal · fine · lie · bass · racket · bulb · lash · pound

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. fine — high quality
  4. pound — a weight
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. bass — low music
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. fine — all right
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. lie — to recline
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. deal — to handle
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bass — the fish

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