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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: staff · rush · mouse · lash · spell · bass · land · tube

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. bass — low music
  3. spell — letters
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. spell — magic
  7. bass — the fish
  8. land — to come down
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. rush — hurry
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. tube — a container
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. land — ground
  15. spell — a short time
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. land — a country
  18. tube — the underground
  19. staff — employees
  20. staff — employees
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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