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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
YesNo
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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: wave · scale · track · stick · last · degree · lash · bass

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. last — to go on
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. bass — the fish
  5. track — a song
  6. degree — an amount
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. scale — in music
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. degree — temperature
  14. bass — low music
  15. last — final
  16. degree — from a university
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. track — to keep track
  19. track — a path
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. scale — size or range
  22. last — finally
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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