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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 124 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: bass · can · lash · leaves · staff · cap · kick · wake

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. cap — a lid
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. cap — a hat
  6. bass — low music
  7. can — to be able to
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. wake — a trail
  14. can — a tin
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. staff — employees
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. cap — of ice
  19. staff — employees
  20. kick — in football
  21. staff — a stick
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. can — a tin
  24. lash — an eyelash

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