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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
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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: straw · rash · can · chair · bass · last · arm · rock

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. bass — the fish
  3. can — a tin
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. last — final
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. rock — a stone
  10. can — to be able to
  11. can — a tin
  12. rock — music
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. rash — a series
  15. last — finally
  16. bass — low music
  17. last — to go on
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. chair — a leader
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. rash — on the skin

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