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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.

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: bass · wake · lash · hand · bowl · swing · spring · racket

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. spring — a coil
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. swing — in golf
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. spring — the season
  13. swing — music
  14. swing — to play on
  15. hand — in cards
  16. spring — of water
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. hand — help
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. wake — a trail
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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