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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 · rock · ball · kick · lie · lash · stock · drill

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. rock — music
  3. bass — low music
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ball — a dance
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. bass — the fish
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. drill — the tool
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. drill — a practice
  14. stock — goods
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. kick — in football
  18. drill — army training
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. lie — to recline
  23. rock — a stone
  24. stock — shares

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