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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 120 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: file · rush · lash · dip · nail · press · last · bass

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. file — a tool
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. bass — low music
  6. bass — the fish
  7. last — to go on
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. press — to push
  11. file — a line of people
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. last — final
  16. last — finally
  17. file — a document
  18. press — newspapers
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. dip — to sink
  23. press — a publisher
  24. nail — on a finger

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