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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: charge · rash · firm · nail · snap · lean · bass · bank

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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. charge — a price
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. firm — decided
  5. lean — thin
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bank — for money
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. rash — a series
  12. charge — in control
  13. bank — of a river
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. bass — low music
  16. firm — a company
  17. firm — steady
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. snap — to click
  20. bank — for money
  21. rash — hasty
  22. lean — to bend
  23. charge — electricity
  24. bass — the fish

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