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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: staff · game · press · bark · fall · lash · roll · bass

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. bark — to shout
  3. staff — employees
  4. game — wild animals
  5. press — newspapers
  6. roll — a list
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. fall — the season
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. press — a publisher
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. game — a match
  19. press — to push
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. bass — low music
  22. staff — employees
  23. bass — the fish
  24. roll — a cake

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