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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: bass · content · mark · shower · arm · file · snap · dip

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. file — a document
  9. bass — low music
  10. shower — to wash
  11. shower — rain
  12. snap — to click
  13. file — a line of people
  14. mark — a trace
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. mark — a grade
  17. dip — to sink
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. bass — the fish
  22. content — happy
  23. content — the amount
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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