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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: snap · current · pass · arm · chair · bass · object · hide

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. object — a thing
  4. current — electric
  5. snap — to click
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. bass — the fish
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. bass — low music
  11. object — an aim
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. current — of water
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. chair — a leader
  18. pass — a permit
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. object — to protest
  23. current — happening now
  24. pass — to spend time

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