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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 120 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: snap · spring · mine · pass · club · ball · rash · kick

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. spring — a coil
  5. club — for golf
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. club — a group
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. club — for dancing
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. ball — a dance
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. rash — hasty
  14. mine — for digging
  15. snap — to click
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. rash — a series
  18. kick — in football
  19. spring — of water
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. spring — the season
  23. ball — a great time
  24. pass — a permit

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