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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: file · cap · wave · coach · track · bass · pitcher · lash

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. cap — a hat
  3. cap — a lid
  4. file — a document
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bass — the fish
  7. track — a path
  8. file — a tool
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. track — to keep track
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. bass — low music
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. track — a song
  18. file — a line of people
  19. cap — of ice
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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