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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: rash · mine · lash · pop · rush · club · trunk · bass

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. club — for golf
  4. club — for dancing
  5. rash — hasty
  6. mine — for digging
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. pop — music
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. club — a group
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. pop — to visit
  17. bass — the fish
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. bass — low music
  20. pop — soda
  21. rash — a series
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. rush — a thrill

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