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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: rash · bass · chip · lash · staff · bark · straw · cue

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. bark — to shout
  5. staff — employees
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. chip — for betting
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. cue — a hint
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. staff — a stick
  13. staff — employees
  14. rash — hasty
  15. bass — the fish
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. rash — a series
  21. cue — a signal
  22. bass — low music
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. chip — to eat

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