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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: bass · lash · bore · staff · chair · cabinet · date · track

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. bass — the fish
  5. track — a path
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. track — a song
  8. chair — a leader
  9. bore — to drill
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bass — low music
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. date — the fruit
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. track — to keep track
  20. staff — employees
  21. staff — employees
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. staff — a stick

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