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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · mug · trunk · lean · bat · stand · wound · bass

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. stand — to bear
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. bat — the animal
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. wound — an injury
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. wound — an injury
  10. lean — to bend
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bass — the fish
  14. lean — thin
  15. mug — a cup
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. snap — to click
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. bass — low music
  21. mug — a face
  22. mug — to rob
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. trunk — of a car

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