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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: scale · club · lie · jam · lash · fall · wave · bark

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. fall — to drop
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. fall — the season
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. scale — in music
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. lie — to recline
  14. club — for dancing
  15. fall — to drop
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. club — a group
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. bark — to shout
  20. club — for golf
  21. scale — size or range
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. lash — an eyelash

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