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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.

Make a worksheet

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: kid · bark · march · lash · lie · fine · bass · rush

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. march — the month
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. fine — all right
  6. march — the month
  7. march — music
  8. kid — child
  9. lie — to recline
  10. bass — low music
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bass — the fish
  16. rush — hurry
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. fine — high quality
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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