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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · chip · foot · bass · rule · last · fan · date

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. bass — the fish
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. last — final
  7. last — to go on
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. rule — a law
  10. chip — for betting
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. chip — to eat
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. rule — government
  15. last — finally
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. bass — low music
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. date — the fruit
  24. chip — in a computer

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