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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.

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: lie · snap · squash · bass · bear · clip · face · mug

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bass — low music
  3. face — to point toward
  4. clip — to cut
  5. clip — for paper
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. bear — the animal
  8. mug — a cup
  9. bear — the animal
  10. mug — to rob
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. face — to confront
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. lie — to recline
  17. face — part of the head
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. squash — to crush
  21. snap — to click
  22. squash — the sport
  23. mug — a face
  24. clip — a video

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