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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: mouse · club · stand · lash · fork · bass · saw · rush

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. club — for golf
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. club — a group
  10. bass — low music
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bass — the fish
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. fork — in a road
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. saw — the tool
  19. rush — hurry
  20. club — for dancing
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. bass — the instrument

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