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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: cap · object · lash · wake · bass · leaves · mine · fan

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. bass — low music
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. bass — the fish
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. object — to protest
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. wake — a trail
  12. object — an aim
  13. object — a thing
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. mine — for digging
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cap — of ice
  24. cap — a lid

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