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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: can · band · clip · bowl · bass · lash · snap · jam

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bass — low music
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. band — a ring
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. band — a music group
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. can — a tin
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. can — to be able to
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. bass — the fish
  18. clip — a video
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. clip — for paper
  21. snap — to click
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. can — a tin
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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