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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.

Make a worksheet

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: lean · pit · bowl · land · spring · bat · lash · bass

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. spring — a coil
  3. land — a country
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. spring — of water
  9. bass — the fish
  10. pit — in a race
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. spring — the season
  15. land — to come down
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. bass — low music
  21. lean — to bend
  22. land — ground
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. pit — a hole

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