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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 120 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: spell · snap · branch · bass · cue · kid · lash · perch

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. branch — a division
  5. kid — child
  6. snap — to click
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. spell — a short time
  9. perch — the fish
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. cue — a signal
  13. kid — to tease
  14. bass — low music
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. cue — a hint
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. spell — magic
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. spell — letters
  22. cue — for pool
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. bass — the fish

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