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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 · chip · foot · rash · rush · nail · key

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. foot — a measure
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. rash — hasty
  8. rash — a series
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. key — the most important part
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. chip — for betting
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. key — for a lock
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bass — the fish
  20. key — in music
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. chip — to eat
  24. bass — low music

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