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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: staff · bore · lash · last · tear · rush · bass · fork

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. fork — in a road
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bass — the fish
  7. staff — a stick
  8. last — finally
  9. rush — hurry
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. tear — to rip
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — employees
  15. tear — from crying
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. tear — from crying
  19. bass — low music
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. last — to go on
  22. last — final
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. bore — to drill

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