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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 120 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: nail · hand · tube · rock · bass · squash · lash · fall

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. fall — to drop
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. fall — to drop
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. squash — to crush
  8. rock — a stone
  9. hand — help
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. bass — the fish
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. squash — the sport
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. bass — low music
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. tube — a container
  21. tube — the underground
  22. rock — music
  23. hand — in cards
  24. hand — part of the body

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