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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: lash · kick · key · saw · hand · bass · rash · wave

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. hand — help
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. key — for a lock
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. bass — low music
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. rash — hasty
  11. saw — the tool
  12. key — in music
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. saw — the tool
  15. kick — in football
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. hand — in cards
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. bass — the fish
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. rash — a series
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. key — the most important part

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