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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. bass — low music
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. last — final
  6. bass — the fish
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. spell — letters
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. pop — to visit
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. mark — a grade
  15. spell — a short time
  16. mark — a trace
  17. pop — soda
  18. pop — music
  19. chair — a leader
  20. spell — magic
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. kick — in football
  23. last — to go on
  24. last — finally

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