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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: wake · rash · nail · press · snap · bass · mug · bowl

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. wake — a trail
  3. snap — to click
  4. press — a publisher
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. bass — the fish
  7. mug — a face
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bass — low music
  13. mug — a cup
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. press — to push
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. press — newspapers
  20. rash — hasty
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. mug — to rob
  24. nail — on a finger

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