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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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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: craft · rest · key · bass · lash · bowl · chip · last

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. key — for a lock
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. rest — a break
  9. chip — for betting
  10. last — finally
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. bass — low music
  13. key — the most important part
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. last — final
  16. craft — boats
  17. last — to go on
  18. craft — a skill
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. rest — what's left
  21. chip — to eat
  22. rest — what's left
  23. key — in music
  24. craft — a handicraft

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