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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: lash · fall · mug · march · wave · face · foot · bass

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. fall — to drop
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. fall — to drop
  6. foot — a measure
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. mug — to rob
  9. march — the month
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. face — part of the head
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. face — to confront
  16. march — the month
  17. face — to point toward
  18. mug — a face
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. march — music
  21. mug — a cup
  22. bass — low music
  23. fall — the season
  24. lash — to lash out

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