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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 · lash · arm · calf · deal · rush · track · rash

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. rush — hurry
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. rash — a series
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rash — hasty
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. deal — to handle
  13. bass — low music
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. track — to keep track
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. bass — the fish
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. track — a path
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. track — a song

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