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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.

Make a worksheet

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: field · clip · bear · date · rush · rest · lash · bass

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. bass — the fish
  3. rest — what's left
  4. field — for sport
  5. bass — low music
  6. rush — hurry
  7. clip — a video
  8. date — the fruit
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. field — a subject
  11. rest — what's left
  12. field — farmland
  13. bear — the animal
  14. clip — for paper
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. clip — to cut
  23. rest — a break
  24. rush — a thrill

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