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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: board · charge · foot · lash · spring · bass · snap · game

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. spring — a coil
  5. charge — in control
  6. game — a match
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. game — wild animals
  11. foot — a measure
  12. spring — of water
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. board — to get on
  15. charge — a price
  16. board — a committee
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. bass — the fish
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. charge — electricity
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. spring — the season
  23. bass — low music
  24. lash — an eyelash

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