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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: march · scale · season · temple · bass · lash · bat · rush

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. march — music
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. march — the month
  5. scale — in music
  6. scale — size or range
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. rush — hurry
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. bass — low music
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bass — the fish
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. season — in sport
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. season — of the year
  22. march — the month
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. rush — to hurry

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