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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 116 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: bass · net · leaves · lean · lash · wind · court · stand

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bass — low music
  6. wind — moving air
  7. lean — to bend
  8. court — for sport
  9. court — of law
  10. stand — to bear
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. lean — thin
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. net — after costs
  16. court — of a king
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. net — in sport
  21. bass — the fish
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. wind — moving air
  24. stand — for spectators

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