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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.

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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: bass · trunk · bay · chip · row · nail · lash · land

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. land — to come down
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. land — a country
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. row — to paddle
  10. chip — to eat
  11. bass — the fish
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. chip — for betting
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. land — ground
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. bass — low music
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. bay — a horse colour

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