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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: lie · object · lash · press · game · bass · drill · kid

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. object — a thing
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. object — to protest
  6. drill — a practice
  7. game — wild animals
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. drill — army training
  11. press — a publisher
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. kid — to tease
  14. press — newspapers
  15. lie — to recline
  16. bass — the fish
  17. game — a match
  18. drill — the tool
  19. press — to push
  20. object — an aim
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. kid — child
  23. bass — low music
  24. lash — an eyelash

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