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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: kick · bound · wave · root · bass · lash · field · object

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. field — a subject
  4. field — for sport
  5. bass — low music
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. bound — certain
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. kick — in football
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bass — the fish
  14. field — farmland
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. root — of a plant
  17. object — to protest
  18. object — a thing
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. root — of a word
  22. root — the cause
  23. bound — tied together
  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