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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.

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: lean · kid · trunk · bass · pass · lash · rush · field

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. field — a subject
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. kid — child
  7. field — farmland
  8. lean — thin
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rush — hurry
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lean — to bend
  13. kid — to tease
  14. pass — a permit
  15. field — for sport
  16. bass — low music
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. bass — the fish
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. rush — a thrill

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