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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: band · bass · calf · hand · bay · lash · staff · roll

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bass — low music
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — a stick
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. staff — employees
  8. roll — a list
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. hand — in cards
  11. band — a ring
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. roll — a cake
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. hand — help
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. band — a music group
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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