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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. hand — in cards
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. stem — to come from
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. suit — to fit
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. snap — to click
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. suit — clothes
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. bass — the fish
  17. suit — in cards
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. hand — help
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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