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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: bass · snap · sharp · lash · bore · game

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. game — a match
  6. snap — to click
  7. bore — to tire
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. sharp — clever
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bass — low music
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. game — wild animals

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