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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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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: root · squash · snap · bay · bass · lash · season · rest

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. snap — to click
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. root — of a word
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. squash — to crush
  9. bass — low music
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. root — the cause
  12. squash — the sport
  13. rest — what's left
  14. root — of a plant
  15. season — in sport
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. bass — the fish
  21. rest — a break
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. rest — what's left
  24. lash — to lash out

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