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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.

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: cold · mouse · pitch · bore · lash · tube · bass · staff

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. bore — to tire
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. staff — employees
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. staff — employees
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. tube — a container
  13. bass — low music
  14. staff — a stick
  15. cold — not warm
  16. cold — an illness
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. bore — to drill
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. tube — the underground
  24. pitch — completely

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