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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: can · track · rock · tube · plane · lash · chest · bass

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. can — a tin
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. track — a path
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. can — to be able to
  10. chest — a box
  11. tube — a container
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. rock — a stone
  14. bass — low music
  15. can — a tin
  16. track — a song
  17. bass — the fish
  18. rock — music
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — of your body
  21. track — to keep track
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. plane — a tool
  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