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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: can · rash · snap · mark · bulb · mouse · hand · bass

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. rash — hasty
  3. bulb — for light
  4. can — a tin
  5. rash — a series
  6. hand — in cards
  7. snap — to click
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. can — to be able to
  11. bass — low music
  12. hand — help
  13. can — a tin
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. bulb — for light
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. mark — a grade

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