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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. lean — to bend
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. ball — a dance
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bound — certain
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. bound — tied together
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. lean — thin
  18. bass — low music
  19. mark — a trace
  20. mark — a grade
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. snap — to click
  24. ball — a great time

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