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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
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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: lash · can · roll · cue · tear · fall · bass · sharp

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. roll — a list
  3. cue — a hint
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. bass — low music
  6. tear — from crying
  7. can — a tin
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. bass — the fish
  10. cue — for pool
  11. tear — from crying
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. can — a tin
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. fall — the season
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. fall — to drop
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. sharp — clever
  20. can — to be able to
  21. tear — to rip
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. cue — a signal
  24. fall — to drop

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