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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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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: jam · spring · mark · wake · lash · fan · deal · bass

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. spring — of water
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. mark — a trace
  7. deal — to handle
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. spring — a coil
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. wake — a trail
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. bass — low music
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. spring — the season
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. bass — the fish
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. mark — a grade

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