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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.

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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: suit · bass · wake · kid · bay · lash · racket · key

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  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. wake — before a funeral
  2. kid — to tease
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. kid — child
  5. key — the most important part
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bass — low music
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. wake — a trail
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. key — for a lock
  17. key — in music
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. suit — in cards
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. suit — clothes
  22. bass — the fish
  23. suit — to fit
  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