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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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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: rock · spell · lash · bulb · lie · net · calf · bass

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. spell — a short time
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — to recline
  5. spell — letters
  6. net — for catching
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. bass — low music
  9. net — in sport
  10. bass — the fish
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. bulb — for light
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. bulb — for light
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. rock — music
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. spell — magic
  21. net — after costs
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. calf — a young animal

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