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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: bay · bore · straw · bass · lash · court · game · press

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. press — newspapers
  3. game — a match
  4. bore — to tire
  5. court — for sport
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. court — of law
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. press — a publisher
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bass — low music
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. court — of a king
  23. press — to push
  24. game — wild animals

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