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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. bass — the fish
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. bank — of a river
  9. last — finally
  10. snap — to click
  11. bass — low music
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. last — final
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bank — for money
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bank — for money
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. last — to go on

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