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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: bass · charge · ball · date · lash · staff · band · arm

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bass — the fish
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. charge — in control
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — employees
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. band — a music group
  13. date — the fruit
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. charge — a price
  16. charge — electricity
  17. ball — a great time
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bass — low music
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. staff — a stick
  22. band — a ring
  23. ball — a dance
  24. lash — an eyelash

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