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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
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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: lash · bark · swing · bass · mouse · lie · dip · game

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. swing — to play on
  3. dip — to sink
  4. swing — in golf
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bass — low music
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. swing — music
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bark — to shout
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. game — wild animals
  19. game — a match
  20. bass — the fish
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. lie — to recline
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. mouse — for a computer

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