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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: lash · march · ball · board · snap · perch · bass · wax

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. march — the month
  3. snap — to click
  4. board — to get on
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. perch — the fish
  11. march — the month
  12. board — a committee
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. wax — to grow
  15. march — music
  16. ball — a great time
  17. bass — low music
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. ball — a dance
  20. bass — the fish
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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