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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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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: snap · dip · charge · bass · hand · bound

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. snap — to click
  4. charge — a price
  5. hand — help
  6. bass — low music
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. hand — in cards
  10. charge — electricity
  11. bound — certain
  12. charge — in control
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bound — obliged
  16. dip — to sink
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. dip — a sauce

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