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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: chair · court · hide · bulb · chip · rush · lash · bass

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. bulb — for light
  8. chip — for betting
  9. court — for sport
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. court — of a king
  12. chip — to eat
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. chair — a leader
  17. court — of law
  18. bulb — for light
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. bass — the fish
  24. rush — hurry

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