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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.

Make a worksheet

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: stick · craft · leaves · lash · suit · land · bass · face

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. suit — to fit
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. land — ground
  6. craft — boats
  7. suit — clothes
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. suit — in cards
  12. face — to point toward
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. land — a country
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. face — part of the head
  17. face — to confront
  18. bass — the fish
  19. land — to come down
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bass — low music
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. craft — a skill

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