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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: bass · field · chip · rush · staff · bark · lash · suit

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. suit — in cards
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. chip — to eat
  7. staff — employees
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. bass — the fish
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. rush — hurry
  13. field — for sport
  14. field — farmland
  15. bark — to shout
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. bass — low music
  18. chip — for betting
  19. suit — to fit
  20. field — a subject
  21. suit — clothes
  22. staff — a stick
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. rush — a thrill

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