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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.

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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 · foot · pound · rest · jam · lash · straw · shower

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. foot — a measure
  3. bass — low music
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. bass — the fish
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. pound — a weight
  10. shower — rain
  11. shower — to wash
  12. rest — what's left
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. rest — a break
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. foot — part of the body

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