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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: ground · coach · trunk · rush · arm · bass · rock · lash

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. ground — crushed
  3. bass — the fish
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. bass — low music
  7. rush — hurry
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. rock — music
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. rock — a stone
  16. ground — the earth
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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