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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. bulb — for light
  3. hand — in cards
  4. drill — the tool
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. drill — army training
  7. ball — a dance
  8. hand — help
  9. drill — a practice
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. bass — low music
  13. charge — in control
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. ball — a great time
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bulb — for light
  20. charge — electricity
  21. charge — a price
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. snap — to click
  24. bass — the instrument

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