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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: charge · lash · firm · wake · bank · net · bay · stick

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. charge — in control
  4. wake — a trail
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. net — for catching
  8. firm — decided
  9. net — after costs
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. charge — a price
  12. charge — electricity
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — of a river
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. firm — a company
  19. bank — for money
  20. net — in sport
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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