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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 116 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: firm · bass · net · leaves · lash · bear · coach · field

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. net — after costs
  3. field — a subject
  4. bass — the fish
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. bass — low music
  7. bear — the animal
  8. net — in sport
  9. firm — decided
  10. firm — steady
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. net — for catching
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. field — for sport
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bear — the animal
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. firm — a company
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. field — farmland

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