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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 116 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

Word bank: calf · wound · root · snap · fine · bass

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bass — the fish
  5. fine — all right
  6. root — of a word
  7. root — of a plant
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. snap — to click
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. bass — low music
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. fine — high quality
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. root — the cause
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. snap — to speak sharply

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