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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 116 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: content · lash · coach · can · bass · rest · last · bat

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. rest — what's left
  3. last — final
  4. rest — what's left
  5. last — finally
  6. content — happy
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. rest — a break
  10. can — to be able to
  11. content — the amount
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. can — a tin
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. bass — low music
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. can — a tin
  21. bat — the animal
  22. last — to go on
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bat — in an idiom

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