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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: lash · bass · club · cap · craft · hand · kick · roll

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. roll — a cake
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. club — for dancing
  8. kick — in football
  9. club — for golf
  10. bass — low music
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. cap — a lid
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. roll — a list
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. craft — a skill
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. hand — help
  19. hand — in cards
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. club — a group
  22. bass — the fish
  23. craft — boats
  24. cap — of ice

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