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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: content · rash · mug · snap · tear · arm · racket · bass

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. snap — to click
  6. tear — from crying
  7. content — happy
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. mug — to rob
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. mug — a cup
  14. tear — from crying
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. mug — a face
  18. rash — a series
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bass — low music
  21. content — the amount
  22. tear — to rip
  23. bass — the fish
  24. racket — for tennis

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