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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: key · snap · bass · bowl · lash · hand · fan · rush

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. snap — to click
  4. bass — low music
  5. bass — the fish
  6. hand — help
  7. key — in music
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. hand — in cards
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. rush — hurry
  19. key — for a lock
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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