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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: bass · mine · lash · bore · rush · bear · squash · sharp

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. mine — for digging
  3. squash — to crush
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. bass — low music
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bore — to drill
  17. sharp — clever
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. squash — the sport
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. bass — the fish
  23. rush — hurry
  24. lash — to lash out

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