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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: ball · lash · bat · bass · nail · can · bay · bear

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. ball — a dance
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bass — low music
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. can — to be able to
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. bat — the animal
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. can — a tin
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. can — a tin
  18. bass — the fish
  19. ball — a great time
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bear — the animal
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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