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

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. root — of a plant
  6. spring — a coil
  7. root — the cause
  8. bass — the fish
  9. game — wild animals
  10. root — of a word
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. spring — of water
  15. snap — to click
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. roll — a list
  21. spring — the season
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. roll — a cake
  24. bass — low music

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