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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: cabinet · fork · bay · nail · clip · lash · bass · fine

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. fine — all right
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bass — low music
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. clip — a video
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. fork — in a road
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. clip — for paper
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. fine — high quality
  23. bass — the fish
  24. clip — to cut

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