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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: straw · pass · arm · mine · bass · snap · lie · firm

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bass — low music
  7. snap — to click
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. firm — a company
  10. lie — to recline
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pass — a permit
  13. mine — for digging
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. firm — steady
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. firm — decided
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. arm — part of the body

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