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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: chest · wave · bass · net · pass · bear · snap · track

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  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. wave — with your hand
  2. chest — of your body
  3. track — a path
  4. bass — low music
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. pass — a permit
  7. track — a song
  8. track — to keep track
  9. net — in sport
  10. net — for catching
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. bass — the fish
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. chest — a box
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. snap — to click
  20. bear — the animal
  21. chest — of your body
  22. net — after costs
  23. bear — the animal
  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