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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: jam · lash · rush · net · bass · hand · wax · season

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. wax — to grow
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. hand — help
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. net — after costs
  11. bass — low music
  12. hand — in cards
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. bass — the fish
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. season — in sport
  18. net — in sport
  19. net — for catching
  20. season — of the year
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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