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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: safe · roll · ground · drill · lash · net · bass · date

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. net — in sport
  3. net — after costs
  4. ground — a position
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. bass — the fish
  8. date — the fruit
  9. drill — a practice
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. roll — a cake
  12. net — for catching
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. drill — army training
  15. roll — a list
  16. ground — the earth
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. drill — the tool
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. bass — low music
  22. ground — crushed
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. date — on the calendar

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