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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.

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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: bass · track · lash · trunk · can · lie · saw · net

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. can — a tin
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. bass — the fish
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. track — a song
  8. track — a path
  9. saw — the tool
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. net — after costs
  14. net — for catching
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. lie — to recline
  17. track — to keep track
  18. net — in sport
  19. can — to be able to
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. can — a tin
  22. bass — low music
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — an untruth

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