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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: last · cold · fork · rush · lash · deal · staff · ball

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. deal — to handle
  3. cold — not warm
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. cold — an illness
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. fork — in a road
  10. staff — employees
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. last — to go on
  14. staff — a stick
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. staff — employees
  17. last — final
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. ball — a dance
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. rush — hurry
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. ball — a great time

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