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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: hand · bass · roll · pass · bay · date · snap · fan

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. snap — to click
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bass — low music
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. bass — the fish
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. date — the fruit
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. roll — a cake
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. pass — a permit
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. roll — a list
  18. hand — in cards
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. hand — help

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