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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.

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: rest · drill · can · net · wake · lash · bass · cap

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. cap — of ice
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. net — after costs
  5. can — to be able to
  6. bass — low music
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. rest — what's left
  11. can — a tin
  12. wake — a trail
  13. drill — the tool
  14. drill — army training
  15. net — for catching
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. cap — a lid
  19. bass — the fish
  20. drill — a practice
  21. can — a tin
  22. rest — a break
  23. cap — a hat
  24. rest — what's left

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