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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 · drill · calf · chair · bass · kid · press · bowl

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  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 — low music
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. drill — the tool
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. kid — to tease
  9. chair — a leader
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. press — a publisher
  13. press — newspapers
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. drill — army training
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bass — the fish
  21. kid — child
  22. press — to push
  23. drill — a practice
  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