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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: kick · fine · season · rash · lash · sharp · bass · capital

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. rash — a series
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. bass — low music
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. sharp — clever
  8. capital — money
  9. fine — high quality
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. fine — all right
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. season — in sport
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. kick — in football
  18. rash — hasty
  19. capital — a city
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. bass — the fish
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. season — of the year

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