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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 116 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: rash · kid · lash · stick · ball · staff · bass · bark

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. ball — a great time
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. staff — employees
  5. kid — to tease
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. ball — a dance
  9. staff — a stick
  10. staff — employees
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bass — low music
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. kid — child
  16. rash — a series
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. bark — to shout
  22. rash — hasty
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. bark — of a tree

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