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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 · ground · bowl · track · face · bass · mate · rush

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. bass — the fish
  3. rush — hurry
  4. face — part of the head
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. ground — a position
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. snap — to click
  10. ground — crushed
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bass — low music
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. track — a path
  15. mate — a partner
  16. track — a song
  17. ground — the earth
  18. face — to point toward
  19. face — to confront
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. track — to keep track
  23. mate — to breed
  24. mate — a friend

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