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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 120 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: net · cue · bass · saw · spring · coach · rush · lash

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. net — in sport
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bass — the fish
  7. rush — hurry
  8. net — after costs
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. saw — the tool
  11. spring — of water
  12. cue — a hint
  13. cue — for pool
  14. bass — low music
  15. saw — the tool
  16. spring — the season
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. net — for catching
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. cue — a signal
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. spring — a coil

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