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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 · object · ball · key · lash · wake · staff · dip

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. bass — the fish
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. object — to protest
  8. key — for a lock
  9. staff — a stick
  10. staff — employees
  11. key — in music
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. staff — employees
  14. dip — to sink
  15. wake — a trail
  16. bass — low music
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. object — an aim
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. ball — a dance
  22. key — the most important part
  23. object — a thing
  24. ball — a round shape

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