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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 · kick · tube · season · lean · tear · nail · net

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. net — in sport
  3. lean — thin
  4. tube — a container
  5. kick — in football
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. lean — to bend
  8. tube — the underground
  9. tear — to rip
  10. tear — from crying
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. season — of the year
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. season — in sport
  17. bass — low music
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. tear — from crying
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. net — for catching
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. net — after costs
  24. kick — a thrill

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