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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: lie · snap · bass · club · mark · press · saw · bat

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. press — a publisher
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. mark — a trace
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. press — to push
  8. bass — the fish
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. mark — a grade
  12. club — for golf
  13. lie — to recline
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. saw — the tool
  16. club — for dancing
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. bass — low music
  20. press — newspapers
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. snap — to click
  23. club — a group
  24. lie — an untruth

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