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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
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: kick · lash · pass · bass · pop · net · coach · deal

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. deal — to handle
  3. pop — to visit
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. bass — low music
  7. pop — music
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. net — for catching
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. kick — in football
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. net — in sport
  18. pass — a permit
  19. bass — the fish
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. pop — soda

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