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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: bear · snap · bowl · bass · board · lash · pass · nail

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. board — a committee
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. snap — to click
  6. bear — the animal
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. bass — low music
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. bass — the fish
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bear — the animal
  22. board — to get on
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. pass — a permit

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