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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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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: track · bass · fan · saw · toast · lash · rock · wake

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. toast — bread
  3. saw — the tool
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. wake — a trail
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. rock — music
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. track — a path
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bass — the fish
  13. track — to keep track
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bass — low music
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. track — a song
  21. rock — a stone
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. saw — the tool
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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