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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: hand · wake · vault · lash · bass · can · stand · rash

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. stand — to bear
  4. bass — low music
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. hand — help
  7. vault — a safe
  8. wake — a trail
  9. can — to be able to
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. rash — hasty
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. can — a tin
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. hand — in cards
  19. rash — a series
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. can — a tin
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. stand — for spectators

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