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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: lash · bass · rush · can · sharp · date · wind · staff

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. sharp — clever
  3. bass — the fish
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — to be able to
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — a stick
  10. wind — moving air
  11. can — a tin
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. date — the fruit
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. bass — low music
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. staff — employees
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. wind — moving air

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