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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. rest — a break
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bass — the fish
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. snap — to click
  9. staff — employees
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. branch — a division
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rash — a series
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. staff — a stick
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. staff — employees
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. wave — of the sea

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