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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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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: row · bass · pop · dip · fine · last · deal · lash

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. bass — the fish
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. bass — low music
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. last — to go on
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. pop — to visit
  10. last — final
  11. pop — soda
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. fine — high quality
  16. dip — to sink
  17. row — to paddle
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. fine — all right
  20. row — a line
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. last — finally
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. deal — to handle

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