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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: sharp · lash · swing · bark · vault · lean · bass · land

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. land — ground
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. swing — to play on
  5. bass — the fish
  6. swing — music
  7. bass — low music
  8. sharp — clever
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. land — a country
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. lean — thin
  19. lean — to bend
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. vault — a safe
  22. land — to come down
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. swing — in golf

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